


Those Eyes

by nxiro



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Mafia AU, like literally it had to be drawn out in a timeline on paper for me to plan, mafia, romance is not the focus but hey there's no way i can write anything without sprinkling some in, this can literally be its own anime series lmao, very very complex plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-05-14 05:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nxiro/pseuds/nxiro
Summary: Nobody was born a murderer, but that might be different for the man that ruthlessly ran Hibiya Amamiya’s childhood friend over with a truck. Hibiya learns that the man is codenamed “Kuroha”, and that the “Blindfold Gang”, the most dangerous and feared mafia in the city, is after the monster. Despaired yet enraged by Hiyori Asahina’s death, Hibiya joins the gang, vowing to kill Kuroha with his own hands. / Mafia AU.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> originally published on [ff.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12614081/1/Those-Eyes), now being updated simultaneously
> 
> Thank you for clicking in, and I hope you enjoy;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, holder of those eyes, to the Blindfold Gang.

What I thought would be just another walk home turned out to be the turning point of my life.

No pun intended, really. I was never the joking type anyways. Hiyori wasn’t, either. Despite us being childhood friends, she always seemed mad at me, and she yelled at me constantly. Her loud voice could be heard all the time around school, and that was one of her most prominent traits. It wasn’t a bad thing; her loud voice was living proof that she wasn’t afraid to say anything. 

But when that truck slammed into her petite figure, she did not make a single sound.

A fountain of red spurted from the impact, staining the road and my face. Her delicate body flew across the road, hitting the ground with a thud. It fell limp and did not move ever again. My outstretched hand that had been millimeters away from hers before the impact grabbed only the air, and my anguish-filled eyes contrasted greatly with her blank ones.

The truck that had stopped meters away now started its engine once again. With one swift movement, it ran over the spot it was in just seconds ago, trampling Hiyori under its wheels for the second time. It then left into the depths of the night without another sound.

All of it just happened out of nowhere and so, so fast.

I slowly turned my head to look at Hiyori, or rather, what was left of her. As soon as I saw her, my eyes widened in terror. My breathing increased with rapidity, and a wave of nausea hit me.

Blood. There was blood everywhere. What was left in Hiyori’s place was no longer human. Bits and pieces of flesh were mashed together with blood, creating the perfect scene in a horror movie. Her limbs were torn away from her body, and her facial features were almost unrecognizable. 

I fell to my knees, and the dinner I had with Hiyori made its way back up my throat and onto the ground. I looked around for any witnesses, but nobody was out at three in the morning. Tears spilled out of my eyes, creating a revolting taste with the aftertaste of the vomit.

But I haven’t even told you that I loved you yet…!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two people run up to the crime scene. One of them was a tall, lean man with white hair and the other was a shorter man with cat-like eyes. The shorter man clicked his tongue as he saw the remains of Hiyori.

“Shit,” he said. “We were too late. Konoha, call Kido.” The taller man nodded and dialed a number swiftly on his phone. The shorter man took the phone and ran a hand through his hair as he waited for the call to connect.

“Kido?” he asked. “We were too late. I’m sorry.” He paused, listening to the speaker on the other end. “Yeah. We’ll take care of it. Later.” He hung up and handed the phone back to the taller man. “I can’t believe it…” The shorter man muttered under his breath. He looked towards my direction again and seemed to notice my existence for the first time. He walked over to me, and the taller man followed.

“Hey, you.” he said. I looked up at him, my mind completely blank. The two of them didn’t look terrified at all at the sight of… Well, Hiyori. If blood and gore didn’t scare or disgust them, then what did? Who in the world are these people? “Are you Hiyori Asahina's friend?”

“…How do you know Hiyori’s name?” I managed to force out when I finally found my voice again. 

“We have our ways. That is not of your concern. Right now, all you have to do is answer the question.” said the shorter man. I looked at Hiyori, then down at my hands. 

“Yes. We were- _are_ \- childhood friends. We came to the city together from the countryside.” I said.

“Could you tell us what happened?” asked the taller man. 

“We were walking home… And then… This huge truck came out of nowhere and… It just slammed into Hiyori… Andtherewasbloodeverywhereand-” My outburst was cut short by a fit of coughing. The two men looked at each other and nodded in understanding.

“My condolences, kid. Thanks.” said the shorter man to me. To the taller man, he said: “Of course. Sounds like something _he_ would do.” I looked up at those words.

“What’s that…? You’re talking like you know who k-killed Hiyori.” I said. The shorter man looked me in the eye, his expression dead serious.

“That is not of your concern-” He started to say, but I cut him off.

“That’s bullshit!” I yelled. “Are you saying that’s none of my business?! Hiyori was- _is_ \- my friend! She’s… She’s precious to me! I need to know who killed her!”

“And what are you going to do with that information?” asked the shorter man. I glared at him, my gaze not wavering in the slightest. 

“I’ll kill him.”

My words startled the both of them. The shorter man replaced his surprised look with a look of seriousness in seconds. 

“The world isn’t that simple. To obtain information, you must offer something to trade.” he said. 

“What do you want?” I asked. “Money?”

“That sounds appealing, but I believe that’s not our current top priority. Let’s see…” The man smiled at me. “Your service.”

“…And what does that mean?” I asked. 

“I see we have forgotten to introduce ourselves.” said the man. “My name is Shuuya Kano, and this is Konoha. We’re part of the Blindfold Gang.”

My eyes widened. The Blindfold Gang. There wasn’t anyone living in this city that didn’t know about them. They were the secret mafia, ruthless and keen on getting what they wanted. They killed anyone standing in their way, and their hands were already dirty with the blood of thousands.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What could the Blindfold Gang ask of me?” 

“It goes hand in hand with your wishes, really.” said Kano. “Our main goal is to kill the man that killed Hiyori-chan, which is what brought us together, and that’s what you want as well. Our goals are identical, so it would be more efficient for the both of us if we work together. So I propose that you join us.”

I stared at him. Join the Blindfold Gang? The mafia that has been feared by everyone? Me? But what Kano said was right. I was absolutely serious about killing that man. I wanted to be the one to bring down the last blow onto that murderer. But that path would be dangerous. I could get killed easily. Just like Hiyori was. Kano must have noticed my inner struggle. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at my forehead, startling me.

“Don’t forget that we are the mafia.” he said, a fake, dangerous smile tugging at his lips. “I’m being generous offering you this position. There wasn’t another option other than joining us once you uttered those words. Either you come with us, or you die here. There’s no out. We can’t have you blabbing your mouth around town. Information comes with a price, after all.” I clenched my fists and looked at Kano straight in the eye.

“I would have made up my mind even if you didn’t threaten me like that.” I said. “I’m joining you guys. I want to make that monster pay for what he’s done. I _will_ kill him.” Kano nodded approvingly and put away his gun. 

“Good. Follow us, Hibiya-kun.” he said. Without another word, he turned around and started walking away. Both Konoha and I followed him. 

I couldn’t believe it. Everything changed so fast, and the world I thought I knew seemed to crumble down into pieces right before my eyes. Blood. Crime Scenes. Murderers. Secret mafias. The Blindfold Gang. All of that was so far away from my daily life just minutes ago. My mind reeled as I tried to accept all of this new information.

I was led down a few roads and around a few corners. The surroundings soon became unfamiliar, and I didn’t know where I was. However, I simply followed Kano, partly believing in him and partly scared of what he — _they_ — could do to me. 

We stopped before a single building that completely blended into its surroundings, but perhaps that was only because it was nighttime. There were no lights shining in the windows, and there was no sign of life whatsoever. It gave me the chills, but I was sure that it looked simply like a normal house to anyone that didn’t know what went on inside.

Kano pressed his finger against the surface of the lock and I heard a _click_. He opened the door and stepped in swiftly with Konoha trailing after him. I took a deep breath and entered the house.

That was the moment my life changed.

It wasn’t a surprise that the house was dark. The lights were extremely dim, giving off an eerie aura and reminding me that I was in a mafia’s base. The corridor was painfully long, and the silence dragged on. I was terrified of Kano (I mean, he _did_ point a gun to my head) and Konoha didn’t seem like much of a talker, so our whole journey was absolutely silent. I was usually fine with silence, but it didn’t help my pounding heart at all. 

We stopped in front of a room and Kano knocked three times against the door. I heard a quiet “come in” from the other side of the door. The voice sounded oddly masculine, despite it being blatantly obvious that it was of a woman’s once I thought about it. My thoughts were interrupted as Kano opened the door, and I was faced with the most terrifying gang in the entire city.

The room itself was not much noteworthy, as the people in the room caught my immediate attention. There were seven people, two men and five women, gathered in the room, all sitting in couches that were arranged in a half-circle. The moment their eyes rested on me, their gazes darkened. In one swift movement, they pulled out their guns and pointed them towards my direction. I gasped and took an involuntary step back.

“Who are you,” asked one of the women, who I identified to be the one that had answered the door. “And what are you doing here?”

I fought to reply, but my throat was clogged with terror. I couldn’t get a single word or sound out.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Who are you?” The woman spoke again, her eyes growing more and more murderous by the second. At this point, I started to panic. Just as I was about to lose it, Kano clapped his hands together, destroying the tense atmosphere that had been created by my entrance.

“That’s it, everyone, drop your weapons.” he said calmly as he stepped in front of me. The group did not comply; in fact, their grips on their weapons tightened.

“Drop our weapons?” echoed another woman. She was sitting in a wheelchair instead of on a couch, and her glare was one of the fiercest. “Are you insane, Kano? Don’t tell me you didn’t even know you were being followed.”

Kano laughed. “Of course not, Ene-chan. Don’t underestimate me. I just don’t want you guys to terrify our new member.” At these words, all of the members stared at me, and the bloodlust from their eyes vanished.

“New member? I didn’t hear about this, Kano.” said the first woman.

“Sorry, sorry, Leader. But everything happened so sudden! I didn’t have time to make another report.”

“My question still stands. Who are you?” This time, her words were directed towards me.

“This is—”

The woman cut off Kano with a glance. “Let him speak for himself.”

I gulped as Kano stepped behind me, revealing me to the entire gang. “My name is Hibiya Amamiya.” I said. “I’m seventeen.”

“Why do you want to join us?” The woman’s question did not catch me by surprise; in fact, I was prepared for this one.

“Just around thirty minutes ago, I witnessed a crime scene. A truck ruthlessly crashed into my best friend, whom you all know. Her name is Hiyori Asahina.” The entire gang seemed to focus more as I uttered her name. A woman that wore two red clips in her brown hair and had a striking resemblance to Hiyori gasped, and tears swam in her eyes. “I was told by Kano-san that a certain someone killed her, someone that you are chasing after. That’s when I thought that I wanted to be a part of that, too. I want to make that monster pay for what he has done to my precious Hiyori.”

A silence followed my speech, and I relaxed the fist I had involuntarily clenched at my sides. The gang members looked at each other, and they lowered their weapons.

“You’re sure about this, Kano?” asked the leader.

“Of course,” said Kano, nodding. “After all… He’s got **_those eyes_** too.”

The leader gave an approving smile and stood up. She walked over to me and held out her hand. “Welcome to the Blindfold Gang, Hibiya. I am Tsubomi Kido, the leader of the gang. Your service is greatly appreciated.”

I took her hand and shook it firmly. “Hibiya Amamiya, at your service.”

“Now that that’s out of the way,” said Kano. “Why don’t we get our newbie situated? We’ve got to plan our next step, too.”

“That’s right.” said Kido. She looked around the room at the members before her gazed stopped upon one. “Momo, you’ll handle his schooling.”

A woman stood up and walked over to us. She had medium-length orange hair, a part of which she tied to the side of her head in a ponytail. Her black eyes shone with energy, and so did her dazzling smile. She was incredibly beautiful, and I’ve definitely seen her before somewhere. I tried not to stare at her chest, which was harder than I thought it would be.

“Roger, Leader!” she said, smiling.

Kido nodded. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” She turned to the rest of the gang. “We’re having our next meeting. We don’t want to make the same mistakes again. Kano, Shintaro, Ene, gather in the monitor room. Everyone else, make yourselves useful. That’s it for now.” Without another word, everyone left to their positions.

I still couldn’t believe it. Just like that, I was admitted to the Blindfold Gang. From today onwards, my path will be stained with blood and violence.

But if it’s for Hiyori, I don’t mind.

“Mind-boggling, isn’t it?” Momo’s melodic voice called me back to reality. “I remember when I first joined. It’s not easy to accept, is it?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m Momo Kisaragi. I’ll be your mentor from now on. You can just call me Momo! Feel free to ask me anything!”

“Hibiya Amamiya. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too! Now, I guess we’ll start with the basics. You must be wondering about the identity of the person we’re chasing after.” My gaze sharpened at Momo’s words. The identity of Hiyori’s murderer. That monster.

“Of course.” I said.

“We call him Kuroha,” said Momo, sitting down on the couch. I took a seat across from her. “We don’t his real name. That codename comes from his criminal number when he was thrown in jail once years ago, which is 968. We don’t even know what he really looks like. To put it simply, he’s after all of us and everyone that’s connected to us.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story. Do you remember Marry Kozakura? She’s the one with long, light blonde hair. She was sitting beside me when you guys came in.”

“Yes.” I said. I remembered that girl. Her expression was not as fierce as the others’ when everyone pointed their guns towards me, and she seemed like a kind and quiet person.

“Kuroha’s main goal is to kill everyone that is connected to her grandmother. It doesn’t matter if the relationship is family, friendship, romantic, or even acquaintances. He aims to kill everyone. He’s a rather corrupt person, too, so he does murder people for the fun of it, too. But his main focus is people connected to Marry’s grandmother, and we’re all connected to her somehow.”

“How would that be?”

“Everyone will probably share their stories with you when they meet you themselves, so I won’t speak for them. For me, it’s because of my father. Marry’s grandmother, Azami, was the boss of a rather large and wealthy corporation, and my father worked in that company. That made my whole family a target, especially after his first attempt to kill all the workers failed against only us.

“When I was eight, my whole family went out to the beach for vacation. We decided to go scuba diving, and since my mom was too scared and my brother was basically a shut-in, only my dad and I went. Everything was fine until our air tanks started malfunctioning. My dad sacrificed his own air tank to give me more oxygen, and when we were found, my dad was already dead and I was barely alive. I found out later on that Kuroha had toyed with the air tanks we were given. When I confronted him about that, he said he ‘wanted to kill the kid first to cause the man despair and then kidnap the man to torment and kill him slowly, but never expected things to turn out this way, but that was even better’.”

I was shocked by Momo’s story. I couldn’t believe it. It was made obvious that Kuroha was a terrifying psychopath that would do anything to reach his goals. Was I really able to fight with someone that powerful?

“Don’t mind it, Hibiya-kun,” said Momo, taking my hand. I looked up at her, and she smiled once again, but this time, there was a tinge of sadness to it. “My story isn’t that saddest. The others have darker pasts, I swear. Don’t feel sorry for me. Focus on what’s ahead.”

I nodded. “Of course.” I said. 

“Now, now! Let your older sister, me, show you around this base, kid!” said Momo, standing up.

“Who are you calling a kid, auntie?” I asked teasingly as I followed her.

Momo whirled around at the nickname. “A-Auntie?! I’m only twenty-one, you infant!”

“Stop now, you cow, you can’t be twenty-one.”

“C-Cow?!” Momo exclaimed. “I-I’m not f-fat or anything! I might have had too many packs of chips this week but I haven’t gotten to that level yet!”

“That’s not…” I trailed off. _That’s not what I meant_ was what I was about to say as I tried to keep my eyes level with hers and not at her well-developed upper body. My face was burning red.

“By the way, what do you plan on doing about school?” asked Momo after a moment of silence.

I stopped in my tracks. I was at a complete loss of words. School was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t even bother thinking about it. “I’m… Not sure, I guess. I didn’t think about it.”

“Just as I guessed. Well, you definitely shouldn’t stop going. At least not yet. You’re expected here after school, though. Can you get past your parents without them suspecting anything?”

“I live by myself. My parents are still in the countryside.”

“Oh! That makes things much simpler. You can just live here, just like us.”

“I can?”

“Yeah, of course! This is your room.” said Momo. We stopped in front of a door. “NO.8. That’ll be your gang number, too. My brother and Konoha are on your left and right respectively, so you can ask them about anything, too.”

“Your brother?” I asked as Momo opened the door to my new room and we stepped inside.

“Yeah. Shintaro Kisaragi. My pathetic excuse of a brother. He’s absolutely hopeless at fighting or even going outside, but he’s the smartest one out of all of us, which is what you would expect from a genius with a self-proclaimed IQ of 168, you know. He thinks of most of our next moves, as well as predicts what Kuroha will do next.” said Momo, sitting down in a chair that accompanied a study table. 

“That’s… Impressive.”

“I guess.” said Momo, shrugging. “I wish he’d go out more, though. Basically all he does is sit in his room all day.”

“What does the Blindfold Gang do mostly, anyways? Do you guys, uh, kill people? Deal drugs? It hasn’t really been made clear.” I said, unable to make eye contact with Momo.

“Oh yeah, I should explain that part, too.” said Momo, laughing. “The Blindfold Gang has one main goal, and that is to kill Kuroha. But we have various small tasks to complete that lead up to that final moment.

“Kuroha is only one person, so he has many, many underlings who carry out tasks for him. Since we barely know anything about Kuroha, his underlings are our best chance to finding out more about him. We also eliminate people who try to stand in our way. Also, since our weapons and equipment cost money, we do our best to get as much money as possible. We do many deals, including drugs, but we ourselves do not get any of the products. That’s not of our interest; it’s just the money. We also gamble, since some of us are rather good at it.”

“Surprisingly, that’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” I said. “So… Is everyone in charge of everything, or is it, like, split up?”

“I’ll give you the names of all our other members and introduce them a bit. It’d be tiring if you didn’t know anything about them or their specialties.” said Momo.

“Please do.” I said, sitting down on the bed.

“NO.1, our leader, Tsubomi Kido. You know who she is. She brought us together and she makes the decisions and orders regarding our missions and next moves. Her leadership skills are top notch. She may seem scary, but she’s really not! She’s kind and cares about everyone.

“NO.2, Kousuke Seto. He’s the man wearing a green tie and has a yellow clip in his hair. He gets along with everyone really well, not just our gang members but normal people in the outside world, too. He’s our spy, and he works at various places to get closer to our targets and gather information.

“NO.3, Shuuya Kano. You know who that is, too. He’s usually not very serious, since he tries to lighten up the mood, but he can be very serious when things get hard. He’s really good at sneaking into places and disguising himself, able to change his appearance into someone completely different. He’s also rather good at flirting with the ladies, so that comes in handy sometimes.

“NO.4, Marry Kozakura. She’s a soft and kind person, but if she gets mad, her ability is definitely in the top three. She is our strongest bait, as she’s the only one directly related by blood to Azami who is still alive.

“NO.5, Momo Kisaragi, twenty-one years old, and I’m an idol! I’m in touch with various celebrities, and that comes in handy in some situations. Also, when the situation calls for it, I will, you know, use my appearance as a trap for men.

“NO.6, Ene. She’s the one sitting in the wheelchair. Her story is one that nobody is allowed to talk about except herself, so you’re going to have to ask her about it yourself. She’s extremely skilled with computers and hacking, so all our technology work goes to her.

“NO.7, Shintaro Kisaragi. My older brother, and he’s the man wearing a red tie. Like I said, he’s the brain of our gang. He’s pretty weak compared to others, and he’s sometimes pretty apathetic. Even so, he’s a nice guy.

“NO.9, Konoha. He’s our main fighting force. He’s skilled in all types of fighting, really, from hand-to-hand combat, which is his main focus, to guns and knives, he can do it all, as he’s got his almost superhuman strength and speed. He’s pretty quiet usually, but that’s mostly because of his amnesia. That ties into Ene’s story, so I can’t say much.

“NO.0, Ayano Tateyama. She’s the girl wearing the red scarf and two red hair clips. She’s our medic and she can tend to basically anything. Even bullet wounds. That’s why we don’t have to go to the hospital unless it’s absolutely necessary. She also doubles as a psychologist, so you should probably go see her later.

“And last but not least…” Momo paused, catching my attention. Her smile grew wide. “NO.8, Hibiya Amamiya. Tell me about you, Hibiya-kun.”

“Me?” I was completely caught off-guard by this question. “Why?”

“Lesson number one of the world in general: information comes with a price.” said Momo, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve told you so much about this gang, and it’s only fair if you tell me an equal amount about yourself.”

“I’m not sure where to start, though.” I said, looking down at my fingers. 

“Tell me about Hiyori-chan.” I looked up with a start at the mention of that name. A name that I wanted to forget. A name that I never wanted to forget. “Was that too soon? I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “I’m going to have to face it someday, anyways. Might as well be now.” I took a deep breath, and let the memories speak for themselves.

“We’re childhood friends, Hiyori and I. We grew up together, but our relationship would never even be classified as ‘friends’ by Hiyori. Being considered an ‘acquaintance’ of hers was the best I could do. But that was only when she was feeling happy. If she had a bad day, I would only be ‘a convenient classmate that listens to what she says’.

“She’s loud and careless, and she would never hold back what she wants to say. But that didn’t make her less beautiful. Really, it was the exact opposite of that. I really… loved her…”

The teardrops that had started falling didn’t land on the back of my hands; instead, they landed on Momo’s, who had taken my hands in hers. I looked into her eyes, and she looked back into mine, a fierce confidence showing.

“It’s alright.” she said, her voice growing soft. “If you wish for it, you’ll meet again!”

Despite those words being simply kind lies, they softened my heart and broke down the barrier that had kept my feelings inside me. The tears fell out nonstop, and Momo wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. She didn’t let go until I had stopped crying, and even for just a while, the warmth comforted me.

“Thank you,” I said. “Momo.”

“Any time, Hibiya-kun. We’re together now. Everything’s going to be alright.” she said, smiling and squeezing my hand in reassurance. 

“Thanks to you, I feel much better now.” I said, smiling. “Even if you’re just an auntie.”

“I’m glad I was able to comfort you, kid.” said Momo, laughing. “I guess Ayano has one less job to worry about now.”

“Is there anything I can do now?” I asked. “Now that that’s out of the way.”

“I’m sure that meeting’s over now. You should go to Ene. She can get you equipped.”

“With what?”

“Weapons, of course.” said Momo, a devilish grin on her face. “Welcome again, to the Blindfold Gang.”


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young boy finds his weapon and the blue-haired girl tells her story.

The mention of weapons made my heart pound. Immediately, my mind went back to the bloody scene I had witnessed what feels like just moments ago. I was going to have to live a life just like that, starting from now.

But at the same time, a weird excitement bubbled up inside of me. What would I wield? A gun? Swords? It seemed like something out of a movie, and so far away from reality. If the blood and gore was disregarded, then it might be exciting.

“Let’s go, then!” said Momo, taking my hand and leading me back towards the room I made my arrival at.

“Is Ene-san skilled in weapons and that sort of stuff?” I asked. I couldn’t help but think about the fact that she was in a wheelchair. I had nothing against that at all, but that made me doubt her skill level slightly. 

“She’s your best shot at finding the right weapon.” said Momo. “You can leave it up to her.”

We reached the living room area, and sure enough, the meeting was over, as Kido, Kano, Shintaro, and Ene were all sitting on the couches.

“Ene-chan!” said Momo. “I’m gonna leave Hibiya-kun with you!”

“For choosing weaponry?” asked Ene. She came over to us with a swiftness and smoothness I did not expect from a wheelchair. 

“Yep! I’m going to work on some idol stuff, so I’ll see you guys in a bit!” said Momo, and she took off.

“Well then, come along, kid. Let’s get some weapons for you!” said Ene. She led the way out of the room and down the hallway, and I followed her. 

“Do you want me to push you instead?” I asked, eyeing her wheelchair.

“Naw, s’all good. I’m not just some weak little girl, you know.” said Ene. “I used to be one of the strongest members of our group!”

I bit back my thoughts on her words, but Ene must have guessed what I was thinking, because she smiled ruefully.

“I know what you’re thinking. If I’m really that strong, then how did I end up like this?” she said.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I wonder about that myself, too.” said Ene, laughing sadly. “You’re one of us now, so I guess there’s no harm in telling you. But that’ll have to wait after we find you something nice in here.” She stopped in front of a room, and we entered it.

Before me was a room filled with shelves among shelves of weaponry. Pistols, machine guns, rifles, bows and arrows, swords, daggers, knives… You name it, it was there. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everything was arranged neatly by type, and there were even things that seemed like everyday items that were placed here. But their placement told me that that was only their disguise. Beyond the shelves was a full shooting arena equipped with many targets.

Ene noticed my shocked expression and smirked. “Welcome to the weapons room. This is, without a doubt, one of the best rooms in this entire building, just like our technology room. Now, let’s get something fit for you.”

“I’ve never touched a weapon before in my entire life.” I said, gulping.

“That’s alright. First, let’s figure out what type of fighter you are. Do you prefer pistols and revolvers like Kano and Seto? Or are you leaning more towards long swords like Leader Kido?  Or, perhaps, do you like small daggers like Marry? Or does a nice lethal poison sound better to you, just like what Momo thinks? Or are you a hand-to-hand combat guy like Mr. Impost— No, Konoha?”

“…I have no idea.” Were those words supposed to help me make up my mind?

“Yeah, I thought so. Let’s have you try some of these babies.” said Ene, laughing casually. She picked up a few guns and laid them in front of me. “Any one of these that seem to be calling out your name?”

“…Nothing in particular.”

“I see.” She picked up a few guns and piled them in front of me. “Then let’s go ahead and start off with these. Springfield XD, Ruger LCR9, Glock 19, and Walther CCP. They’re great choices for beginners, but they’re still guns, obviously, so be careful. Go ahead and try aiming at those targets there.” She gestured towards the area on the other side of the room.

I gulped and took one of the guns, my hand trembling. I forced myself to calm down and approached the targets.

I’ve never had any practice with shooting. I’ve used a nerf gun before when I was a child, but that was about it. My hands started to shake as I gripped the trigger, but I was sweating so much that I couldn’t bring myself to pull.

“It’s alright,” said Ene, her voice becoming calm and empathetic. “Take it slowly. If you’re not comfortable with it, you don’t have to be part of the combat team. You can be like Master— er, Shintaro— You can be behind the scenes and supporting us that way. But you should be able to do some self-defense, at the least—”

“I can do it,” I said, gulping. I steadied my gaze at the target, and closed my eyes. “I promise.” I took a final deep breath before pulling the trigger steadily.

The only thing my brain registered was the gunshot and the jolt of my hand. I had already prepared myself for the loudness, but it still shocked me. My heart pounded in my chest as a droplet of sweat trickled down my face.

It was definitely the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done. I couldn’t believe it. I, Hibiya Amamiya, the most mundane person in the entire world, had just fired a gun.

“That was great,” said Ene. “You did pretty damn well, for a beginner.”

“I missed the center, though.”

Ene laughed. “Come on, it was your first time. Even we can’t expect you to do that on your first shot. But you do have great aim.”

“I do?”

“Oh, yeah. So, how did that feel? Are you ready to try some more?”

I gulped and said yes, I was. I tried out a few more pieces of weaponry, and Ene introduced me to each of them before she handed it to me. I, however, didn’t remember the name of a single one of them.

Ene observed my actions with great concentration and interest, and she looked like she was thinking long and hard about what to get me next.

“What is it?” I asked, nervous. “Do I, er, not have the potential or something?”

“No, no, that’s not it!” said Ene. “Geez, you’re way too self-conscious. Have a little more confidence in yourself. Why don’t you go ahead and choose one by yourself? Find one that calls your name.”

I looked around, completely lost. Which one should I choose? I had no idea. I walked along the tables, thinking.

My eye caught one single weapon among the many in this room. I honestly don’t know what interested me — was it the unique design? Its difference in appearance? How cool it looked?

At that point, I didn’t know how much that one single choice would change my fate.

Ene raised an eyebrow at my choice. “Oh,” she said, surprised. “Wow.”

I immediately put it down and stepped away from it. “Why?” I asked, nervous. “Is it that bad?”

Ene laughed. “No, no, you’re good. I was just surprised. I never thought you would pick _that_ out of all the choices possible.” 

“Why?”

“Well, let’s give you a little crash course on this baby here. This is the CheyTac Intervention M-200, and it’s an American bolt-action sniper rifle. It’s got a range up to 2,500 yards, which is pretty damn long. Barrel length of 740mm, uses .408 or .375 Cheyenne Tacticals as cartridges. It’s an amazing tool that I’m absolutely shit at using.” said Ene, laughing.

“Why?” I asked nervously. I must have picked something terribly difficult to use.

“I’m terrible at long-range shooting. More of a close-range gal. Don’t worry, that’s not to say that you’ll be terrible at it. Give it a shot.”

I stationed myself further away from the targets and placed my hands on the rifle. I looked into its eyepiece, and for some reason, the target looked clearer than ever. I steadily pulled the trigger, and watched the bullet fly.

It hit the center of the target without any hesitation. Eyes wide, I looked up to see if that actually happened. A stunned silence followed the loud “bang!” of the gun.

“Holy shit,” said Ene, to herself more than me. “I think we’ve found ourselves a genius.”

“No way.” I said, putting down the rifle cautiously.

“I can’t believe it!” said Ene excitedly. “This is the best case scenario! We don’t have any long-distance fighters yet. This is awesome!”

“I-I see…”

“By the way, how good’s your vision?” asked Ene, rolling over her wheelchair to me.

“I have 20/10 vision.” I admitted.

Ene’s eyes grew wide as she stared at me. “20/10 vision.” She repeated. “Are you human?”

“I would suppose so, yes.” I replied.

Ene laughed. “Now that we’ve got your weapon, let’s head back! We’ve gotta tell the others about our newest sniper!” she said, a bright smile on her face.

“Wait.”

Ene was just about to start heading back before I stopped her. She looked up, her smile now replaced with confusion. “What? What’s wrong?”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “You said you would tell me what happened to you after we picked out a weapon.” My heart pounded in my chest as I uttered these words. Oh, I was terrified, asking a member of the _mafia_ a question that would most definitely pain and anger her. But curiosity killed the cat, you know. I couldn’t help it. The pause that followed my words only made me more and more nervous.

“Information—”

“Comes with a price.” I finished. “Yes, I know. I’ve been told that twice now. Once from Kano, and once from Momo. How should I repay you for your story?”

Tears seemed to glisten in Ene’s black eyes as they widened, but she blinked them back. “You’re a natural,” she said, laughing. “Alright. I’ll tell you my story. From the very beginning.

As you may know, my name is Ene. But as you might not know, that’s not my real name. My real name is Takane Enomoto. Ah, it’s weird, saying the name I neglected seven years ago, one of someone that should be dead.

Seven years ago, I was seventeen. I was a normal high schooler, you know, except I had a condition called narcolepsy. Do you know what that is?”

“Is it the condition where you tend to fall asleep in relaxing surroundings?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. With this condition, I was labeled ‘disabled’ and put into a special needs classroom in the beginning of high school with one teacher and one other fellow student.

His name was… Haruka. Haruka Kokonose. A dense idiot who… had the kindest soul and the warmest smile. He was my only friend for a while. We were polar opposites, actually; I was loud, brash, frank, and mean, while he was timid, positive, and kind. He was placed in the special needs class because he had a fatal illness, one that could kill him with a single attack. Our happy high school lives went on for a little more than a year, until my second year of high school.

Our teacher was Kenjirou Tateyama. If you recognize the last name, you’re spot on. He’s Ayano’s dad. We met Ayano and Shintaro through school; they were our underclassmen. We became a group of four friends instead of two groups of two friends. Ah, those were happy days.

The Tateyama family went through a lot during that year, though. Mrs. Tateyama was murdered that year, and Sensei was never the same again. He acted like he was fine, but it was clear to both me and Haruka that he was breaking down inside.

One day, Haruka had an attack. I watched Sensei send him off to the hospital, and I stayed in the classroom, waiting for them to come back as I, well, repented my ignorance and stupidity. Suddenly, my head started to spin. It was as if I was falling asleep again due to my narcolepsy, but ten times more painfully. As I struggled to stay awake, I saw the figure of someone that couldn’t be more familiar, smiling maliciously as I closed my eyes: Kenjirou Tateyama. The same Tateyama-sensei that should have left with Haruka. But as I tried to sort out what had happened, my mind started to shut down.

When I woke up again, the scene in front of me shocked me. I was in what seemed like a lab, trapped in a glass case of some sort. I look around and, get this, _two_ Kenjirou Tateyamas stared back at me.

‘Hey,’ said Kenjirou One. ‘She’s awake.’

‘Well, well, looks like our princess has woken up from her slumber,’ said Kenjirou Two, walking towards me. His malicious smile told me immediately that he wasn’t the real Kenjirou Tateyama.

‘Who are you?’ I asked. ‘Where am I? What have you done??’

‘Oh nothing,’ said Kenjirou Two. ‘You’re just going to be the subject of our experiments of eternal life for a while. No big deal.’

‘I’m what?!’ I spat. I looked towards Kenjirou One, whom I assumed to be the real Sensei, for reassurance. ‘He’s joking, right?’

‘Sorry, Takane,’ said Kenjirou One. ‘But you’ll have company. It’s fine.’ He gestured towards my right.

I looked towards the case beside me, and I faced the greatest shock and terror in my life. There in the case sat Haruka, unconscious, just as I was.

‘Haruka?’ I asked, uncertainty overflowing in my voice. I turned to the two Kenjirous. ‘What did you do to him?!’

‘He’s just unconscious,’ said Kenjirou Two. ‘No big deal.’

‘You monster,’ I said, gritting my teeth. ‘I’ll kill you!’

‘Oh?’ asked Kenjirou Two. ‘You’ve said something interesting now. Go ahead and try.’ He sneered at me.

‘Stop it, Takane. It’s all for Ayaka’s sake.’ said Kenjirou One.

‘Ayaka?’ I echoed. I searched my mind vigorously for memories of that name. I quickly recalled the name Ayaka Tateyama. She was a kind, hard-working woman that was Sensei’s wife. She had died earlier that year at the hands of a ruthless murderer. ‘Are you serious? You think Mrs. Tateyama would appreciate this shit? You think Ayano would appreciate this shit?!’

‘Shut it.’ said Kenjirou One, his expression turning murderous. ‘Don’t you dare bring Ayano into this. Ayaka will return to me. Definitely.’

‘Now that we’ve got introductions down, let’s get to business, shall we?’ asked Kenjirou Two, his face twisting into a smile. The next thing I knew, I was injected with an unknown fluid, and I fell to the ground, unconscious.

When I woke up once again, my head felt dizzy. I sat up and looked to my right, and I met Haruka’s shocked gaze.

‘Takane! You’re awake!’ he said, bolting from his chair. He pressed his hands against the glass wall of his cell. His face held the tracks of tears that once flowed along his cheeks.

I sat up with great difficulty and walked over to him, pressing my hands against the wall of my case, right where Haruka’s hands were. Our hands were only centimeters away, cut off by the barrier of the glass, but it felt like the longest distance ever. 

‘Haruka,’ I said, my voice breaking. ‘Haruka…’

‘I woke up and all I saw were unfamiliar surroundings and a fallen Takane to my left. Are you okay? What did they do to you??’ asked Haruka.

I put a hand to my neck, where the injection had occurred. ‘I… Nothing. It’s nothing. But that’s not the point! Sensei! Sensei was the one that brought us here! He’s with this other guy and they’re trying to find a way to eternal life! He’s trying to bring back his wife! Using us as lab rats!’

‘And it’s going quite smoothly.’ I looked towards the direction of the voice and saw both Kenjirous staring at us.

‘No way. She’s actually alive.’ said Kenjirou One, staring at me in disbelief. ‘I thought that drug was lethal!’

‘That’s eternal life to you.’ said Kenjirou Two, smirking. ‘But it’s not complete yet. We have to do more experiments. Do you trust me now?’

‘Of course!’ said Kenjirou One. ‘Well, I’ll leave the studying to you. I hope everything can be finished soon.’

‘Soon.’ replied Kenjirou Two, and the two of them left.

I put a hand to my neck involuntarily. What was apparently a lethal drug was injected into me. Then how am I still alive? I didn’t know the answer to that question, but I did know that there was more to come.

And how right I was. Day after day, week after week, we were subject to his experiments. The injections were soon switched to actual weapons that always left us wounded, but not dying. I can’t explain in words how much it hurt; but I know it must have hurt more for Haruka. We pleaded, _I_ pleaded, for him to stop — but every time we did so, Kenjirou Two’s smile would widen as he inflicted another wound upon us.

Our imprisonment lasted for around two weeks, but it felt like two years. One night, we heard noise from above us. Haruka and I exchanged worried glances, wondering what was going to happen next. One block of the ceiling was slid off to the side, and two people jumped down: Ayano Tateyama and Shintaro Kisaragi.

Shintaro punched in a few codes into the keypad attached to our glass cases, and the doors opened. I took a step forward, but lost my balance. Ayano quickly caught me, and Shintaro did the same for Haruka.

‘Ayano-chan…? Why are you here…?’ I whispered.

‘No time for explanations. Let’s get you two out of here.’ said Shintaro, already climbing up to the ceiling. He reached out of a hand to Haruka, who took it and climbed up with great difficulty, his face occasionally twisting in pain due to his wounds. I did the same. Ayano climbed up after us. The moment she slid the block of the ceiling back to its original spot, alarms started sounding.

Shintaro clicked his tongue. ‘We’ve got to hurry.’ he said.

We crawled along the pathway and tried to make as less noise as possible. Shintaro led the way and we hurried along in silence. I had a thousands questions in my mind, but I had to wait until we were out of danger.

Soon, we reached a spot where Shintaro heaved a block out of the way and jumped down. Haruka, looking slightly uncertain, jumped down. Shintaro caught him, and he gestured for me to do the same. I gulped and jumped right down. After all four of us were on the ground once again, we ran towards what was apparently the exit. 

‘Don’t move!’ We heard someone shout from behind us.

‘Shit,’ said Shintaro. Get in the car, quick.” We approached a white Lexus, and swiftly, we jumped in.

‘Shintaro, get us out of here!’ said Ayano.

‘I don’t need you to tell me that.’ said Shintaro, pressing his foot down on the gas pedal and speeding out of the area. We heard gunshots from behind us, but we were able to leave unharmed.

‘What the fuck is happening?!’ I yelled as soon as we were far enough.

‘We just saved your asses, that’s what happened.’ said Shintaro, his eyes focusing on the road.

‘Shintaro, shut up! They’ve been through a lot! Would it kill you to be just a little nicer?’ said Ayano crossly. ‘Anyways, I’m so glad you both are fine. I can’t imagine what that murderer has done to you both.’

‘Murderer?’ echoed Haruka.

Ayano nodded. ‘There was a man that looked exactly like my father, right? That’s Criminal Number 968, or ‘Kuroha’. He’s after all of us.’

‘He’s helping your father research eternal life.’ I said. ‘…He injected something into me on the first day that he said was a lethal drug. How am I still alive?’

‘For god’s sake, Enomoto, if you’ve got brains in that head of yours, use them.’ said Shintaro. ‘If it was really lethal, then you wouldn’t be alive. It was all an act to fool Ayano’s dad. He’s manipulative, and that’s what he’ll do to get what he wants. After all, eternal life doesn’t exist.’

‘We need to stick together if we want to survive.’ said Ayano. ‘You guys… You’re all I have left.’

We drove to a small hospital first, one that Ayano had connections with and was doing her nurse training at, where they treated our wounds. Then, we came here, to the Blindfold Gang’s base, where we met everyone else, members one to five. We started our mission, doing what we could to try to catch Kuroha.

That’s how Haruka and I joined the Blindfold Gang. Since we would be extremely recognizable to Kuroha and his underlings, we decided to change our names and our appearances. Takane Enomoto and Haruka Kokonose became Ene and Konoha respectively, and we dyed our hair into blue and white and put in colored contacts when we went outside.

The two of us worked as a team for the longest time. I was skilled in guns of all sorts, having prior knowledge of them from various shooting games I used to play. Haruka picked up hand-to-hand combat, which he mastered in a short amount of time. We would go on missions together, and we would always succeed because of our teamwork. 

But that day, we failed.

We had our biggest lead to Kuroha during that mission, and the two of us went to track him down. We met him, face to face, and we were absolutely overpowered. After severely injuring us with his gun, he tried to run us over with a truck — sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Although that didn’t injure us physically at all, it served us quite a lot of mental trauma. My confinement to this wheelchair is not caused by any physical injury, but of physiological trauma. It’s stupid, isn’t it?

And Haruka… He… He lost all of his memories. Of the Blindfold Gang, of Kuroha, of _me_ … I thought it was better for him to just live on without any more darkness in his life, but he had to know about Kuroha. Haruka’s life was threatened by him. It’s okay if he forgets about me…” At this, a tear falls down Ene’s cheek, and she wiped it away with one swift movement. “But yeah! That’s my story.”

I stared at Ene, my mouth agape. I felt ashamed of myself for doubting her abilities because she was in a wheelchair. It was absurd. She’s been through more than a normal person should, and I know that if it was me, I would have gone mad long ago. “…That’s absolutely nuts.”

“I know, right?” she said. “It sounds like bullshit and something straight out of a cliché drama, but it’s true. Are you scared now that you know what kind of person Kuroha is?”

“No,” I said. “It’s the opposite, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“It makes me want to kill him even more.”

“I see.” said Ene, looking at me with a slight smile on her face. “Now, about the price…”

“Of course. What would you like?” I hadn’t forgotten about it. I was a little uneasy because I didn’t know how I would have to pay for such a hefty story, but I had no choice.

“I’m thinking of saving that opportunity for now. I’ll ask you of something at a later time, of course. You’re off the hook for now.” said Ene, smiling. “Now, let’s head back! The others will be annoyed at me for keeping our newbie away for too long!” She headed out the door swiftly, and I followed her.

We walked in silence, and the moment we entered the living room, the others stood up to greet us.

“So, how’d it go?” asked Kido. “Were you able to find something of your liking?”

Ene stepped in front of me excitedly before I could answer. “Listen, listen, Leader! You won’t believe this. I still can’t. We’ve recruited ourselves a sniper! And a hella good one at that!”

The reaction at those words was immense. Surprise was clearly shown on everyone’s faces as they stared at me in awe. I felt uncomfortable at all the stares, but I knew I should be holding my head up high with pride. I was going to be of use to this group.

“A sniper…” said Seto. “That’s amazing!”

“We don’t have anyone in that role here yet! Right, Kido?” asked Marry.

Kido nodded. “You’re right.” she said. Sighing reluctantly, she turned to Kano. “You did well in recruiting him. You’re off the hook from bathroom cleaning. Just this time.”

Kano let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the praised lords.” he said under his breath.

“Alright,” said Kido, pulling everyone’s attention back to her. “We’ve got stuff to accomplish. Currently, it’s five in the morning. I’m sure everyone’s tired from this unexpected mission, so sleep will be allowed until twelve, unless you’ve got a mission before that. Aya-nee, I’m going to send Hibiya to you for some emotional therapy after we all wake up. This evening, Hibiya, you’re joining Momo in her next mission. She’ll debrief that to you on your way there. Everyone else, I’m sure you know your next steps. That will be it for now.”

“Yes, Leader.” We chimed together. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding in, and I followed everyone towards our rooms.

“Good job for today, Hibiya-kun.” said Momo, patting me on the shoulder.

“Thanks,” I said, sighing.

“It’s been a long day, huh?” She said sympathetically.

I laughed. “That’s such an understatement,” I said. “But yeah. Definitely.”

“You need to rest. Get a good few hours of sleep.” she said. We had gotten to her room, three doors away from mine. “See you in the morning. Good night, Hibiya-kun.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Good night, Momo.”

I walked toward my room, trying to ignore the subtle stink-eye Shintaro gave me. As soon as I entered the room, I flopped onto my bed and sunk into a slumber deeper than any before.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've turned my pain into wings.

Darkness.

The pitch-black darkness that surrounded me was endless. There was no way of knowing where it started and where it ended. It extended on all the way out of sight, and slowly, I started to panic and lose my mind.

“Hibiya.”

I turned around to see the person I wanted to see the most. I wanted to call out her name, to embrace her, to be with her forever. I tried to step forward, but the darkness prevented me from doing so, as if the shadows had formed the shape of a hand, pulling me down. She gave me a smile so heartbreakingly beautiful and sombre that my heart clenched in pain. She turned around and started to fade away from my sight.

“Wait…” I murmured, my bottom lip trembling. “Don’t go… Don’t leave me, Hiyori!”

She turned around to give me a final wave before disappearing altogether.

“HIYORI!!!!”

I opened my eyes with a start as I woke up. I stared up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths and processing everything that had happened what seemed like years ago. Hiyori was d— gone. I found the Blindfold Gang. I joined the mafia.

I shook my head and sat up in the bed, sighing. Just what have I done? What was the me of seven hours ago thinking? I couldn’t believe myself. Just as I was about to get out of bed, I heard a soft knock on my door.

“Come in,” I said cautiously. The door opened slowly, and Momo’s energetic face appeared in the doorway.

“Ah, Hibiya-kun, you’re awake!” she said. “I thought I’d come by and wake you up if you weren’t awake already. Breakfast is ready, so come on! Well, more like brunch, actually, but whatever. There are some clothes in the closet over there, and the guys’ bathroom’s two doors down the hall on the right. When you’re ready, come join us!” She gave me a bright smile before closing the door.

I climbed out of my covers and walked over to the closet on the other side of the room. I was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and I was dying to change into something fresh. I opened the closet door and found clothes for various occasions. I changed into a grayish-blue t-shirt and a pair of dark grey trousers and headed down to the bathroom. After I brushed my teeth and washed my face, I headed towards the dining room.

The entire gang was sitting at the table already, gathered around a a great amount of good food. There was an array of different varieties of bread, complete with butter and different types of jam on the sides as flavoring, and everyone’s plates had a serving of a egg (cooked in various ways according to everyone’s liking), sausages, and potatoes. A jar of milk and a jar of coffee was placed in the centre of the table for everyone to share.

I stared at the sight in front of me for a few seconds before I realized everyone had started to stare at me. I quickly took a seat in between Momo and Konoha.

“What’s up?” asked Ene. “Never seen such a fancy breakfast before?”

“Even if I ever had something close to the quality of all this, it would be from a distant memory of my childhood,” I replied as I thought back on all the boxes of cup ramen I ate before and after school. “I haven’t had a warm, homemade meal in years.”

“Well, then, let’s eat!” said Seto, smiling.

Konoha didn’t have to be told twice. All of us started to tuck into our meals, talking amongst ourselves as we did. I bit into my omelette and immediately felt a happiness I would have never imagined feeling from eating something so mundane. Its tastiness almost brought tears to my eyes.

“How is it?” asked Kido, looking just a bit nervous.

“It’s _amazing,_ ” I replied, taking another bite. “I’m so blessed.”

Kano burst out laughing. “Of course it’s good!” he said. “Our precious Leader put forth so much effort in making all of this! Come on, don’t be so nervous, Tsub—” Kano stopped talking abruptly and continued eating as Kido shot him a deathly glare.

“Are you putting ketchup in _that_?” I couldn’t help but exclaim as I glanced at Momo’s plate. Her scrambled eggs were stained completely red with the excessive amount of ketchup she added in, and she took a delightful bite out of her mixture.

“It’s really good!” she said between chews. “You should try it sometime!”

“I think I’ll pass,” I said, still staring at the crimson mess.

“Momo, don’t talk while chewing,” said Shintaro, taking a sip from his can of coke. “Also, that looks disgusting.”

“You’re not any better.” said Ene, raising an eyebrow. “Who drinks coke for breakfast? You’ll feel really bloated.”

“Shut up, you don’t understand the beauty of coke.” Shintaro shot back.

“Coke contains around ten sugar cubes per can, and it can lead to very serious health concerns,” Ayano remarked quietly. “Also, sugar is more addictive than cocaine.”

“Hear it loud and proud from our nutritionist, Shin.” said Ene.

Shintaro gave them a tired look before putting down the coke can and getting up to pour himself a cup of water. Breakfast continued on forward, and as did conversations. I’ve never had such a warm breakfast before, and it was even more ironic that I was experiencing it with nine other members of the mafia.

We finished brunch rather quickly, considering how much food was available. I haven’t felt this full in a while now; obviously, cup ramen isn’t that filling. I looked up at the other members and saw that most of them stood up and started to leave.

“What’s up, Hibiya-kun?” asked Momo.

“Uh, nothing,” I said, nervous. “I was just wondering what I should do now.”

“Mm…” Momo thought for a while before turning to Ayano. “Ayano-san, Leader said she’s sending Hibiya to you, right?”

“Yes, that’s right!” said Ayano, beaming. “Just give me two minutes, please, Hibiya-kun. I’ll get set up for our session. Please go to the last room on the left of the hall when it’s time. That’s my room.” She smiled at me before leaving the table.

“Are you nervous?” asked Momo. I nodded, and she ruffled my hair. “It’ll be alright! Ayano-san’s the kindest person you’ll meet, and it’ll just be a calming conversation. You’ll feel much better after talking to her. We all do.”

“I hope so,” I said. “What will I do afterwards?”

“Well, I’ll be preparing for my mission later this evening. You’re coming with me, so after you’re done at Ayano-san’s, come look for me. We’ll get you ready.” said Momo.

“For what?” I asked nervously.

Momo gave me a sly smile. “That you’ll have to find out for yourself later. Now, two minutes are up. You should get going!” She pushed towards the hallway, and I walked towards Ayano’s room. I knocked, and after hearing a bright “Come in!”, I opened the door.

The room was a rather clean and comfortable one, with couches substituting regular chairs. There were many pictures hung on the walls and placed in frames around the room, all showing Ayano’s smiling face along with her friends’.

“Welcome, Hibiya-kun!” said Ayano. She gestured to the couch opposite hers. “Take a seat!”

I did so. Ayano took out a notebook and a pen and wrote a few words at the top of the paper, titling an entry, perhaps.

“Now, Hibiya-kun, let us begin,” she said, her voice suddenly becoming composed and serious. “I’d like to start off by saying that everything we discuss here today is confidential, so please, do not be afraid of any circumstances that may come with your words. However, if anything serious involving danger regarding yourself or others comes up, I must inform someone of power, who, in this case, will be Tsubomi. Is this understood?”

“Yes, Tateyama-san.”

“Oh, there’s no need to be so formal! Just call me Ayano, like the rest of us! We’re family, after all.” She said, smiling. “Just think of today’s session as a consultation. We’re just going to get to know a little bit more about each other! It’ll be fun!”

“Okay, Ayano-san.”

“Great! So, tell me about yourself, Hibiya-kun. How old are you right now?” asked Ayano, starting to jot notes down onto her notebook.

“Seventeen.”

“So a junior in high school?”

I nodded.

“Which high school are you attending?”

“Alpine High School.”

“So not quite far from here. Did you always live in this city? Or did you come from somewhere else?”

“I came from the countryside. Hiyori’s hometown.”

At this, Ayano blinked, surprised. “Oh, wow! It’s a pretty place, isn’t it? The lake has water clearer than any other lake in the country! It’s so refreshing to jump in during the summer,” she said, laughing.

This time, it was my turn to look at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”

“That’s right, I haven’t told you yet! My mom was Hiyori-chan’s older sister, so I’m actually Hiyori-chan’s niece! I know, kinda weird. I’ve been to your hometown once when I was younger. It’s a very beautiful place.”

“Wow…” I said. “I didn’t know that. I didn’t know Hiyori had an older sister. Or a niece.”

“We’ve never actually met,” said Ayano, laughing. “I’ve only been watching over her from afar. Anyways, how come you decided to come into the city?”

“I…wanted to more to my life, I guess. I didn’t want to live forever in a small town. I wanted to grab all the opportunities available and to see the world. I decided to plan a trip when I was twelve. My parents were strictly against it, since we weren’t wealthy or privileged enough. But I didn’t give up just because of that. I kept trying to reach my goals, working jobs for various of my neighbors and staying at the top of my classes to hopefully win a scholarship. It was then that Hiyori approached me. She offered to take me into the city. I was thrilled, even though I knew that she only saw me as a tool to obtain her own dreams. But I was fine with that. If I could get even just a centimeter closer to her heart, I was happy. So on one summer day, the two of us set off to the city. Hiyori stayed with her relatives while I found a boarding school that accepted me. 

“However, after the summer ended, Hiyori went back to the countryside. I didn’t know why she went back so suddenly; she was so in love with the city. Her eyes sparkled whenever she walked around the busy streets, and she was fascinated with her surroundings. She was so much happier in the city than I had ever seen her back in our home town. I stayed in contact with her after she went back, perhaps a little forcefully. I didn’t want our link to disintegrate. And it didn’t.

“The beginning of this summer, five years since the summer we arrived in the city, Hiyori showed up at my apartment. She ran away from home and asked if she could crash at my place. I said yes, of course, without any questions asked. Now that I think about it, I probably should have asked her why she ran away from home and if her family was worried. But I couldn’t; how could I ask her about that when she was so engrossed in the city she was in?

“We hung out everyday; I had endless words to tell her. She went along with my endless talking, occasionally showing me a genuine smile or laugh. That made me happier than ever. But then… _That_ happened…”

“…You really worked hard, didn’t you?”

I looked up at Ayano’s words. “Huh?”

She smiled at me warmly. “You did everything you could to make Hiyori-chan happy. And I’m sure she was, deep down inside. For that, I can’t thank you enough.”

“You really think…that she was happy?” I asked, nervous. “I wasn’t too assertive or pushy or annoying?”

“No, of course not! She’s a good kid, and even if she doesn’t show it outwardly, I’m sure she thought of you quite positively. I’m sure she was happy to have met you.”

I bit my lip to stop myself from tearing up at those words. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” said Ayano softly. “Now, I understand that your parents disapproved of you coming into the city. What is your current relationship with them like?”

“I call them once in a while to let them know how I’m doing. We were back on good terms by the third month. They’re good people, after all.” 

“That’s good. Have you been subjected to any violence or trauma, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional apart from what occurred last night?” 

“No.”

“Alright. And have you had any symptoms of depression, withdrawal, or tendencies of self-harm?”

“No.”

“That’s great to hear. Now, I want to talk a little bit about last night. One second, I’ll be right back.” Ayano stood up and walked over to a corner of her room. She picked up a teddy bear in one hand and poured a cup of water from the water dispenser. She placed the cup in front of me and handed me the teddy bear. “I thought this would be comforting. It’s really soft! If you feel uncomfortable, please tell me and feel free to pause your words.”

I nodded, accepting the teddy bear. Ayano was right; it was incredibly soft, and despite knowing that I probably looked like an idiot, being a seventeen-year-old boy hugging a teddy bear, I clung onto it.

“Tell me about what had happened last night,” said Ayano, sitting back down. “Where were the two of you returning from?”

“We were coming back from having a midnight snack, I guess. We were in the night market, and she bought everything in sight. I could hear my wallet cry in pain, but seeing her smile made me forget about everything else except living in that moment. We decided to head back when she was full and content. It was three in the morning, so the streets were completely empty. At that moment, it felt like the whole world belonged to us. We were just crossing the road normally, with Hiyori walking in front of me, when suddenly, a truck came speeding out of nowhere. It…

“It slammed into her without a sound. I saw Hiyori’s eyes widen in shock as she…disappeared beneath the wheels… The truck…ran over her again…And simply speeded off into the distance. The whole event only lasted a few seconds. I didn’t even have time to scream before Kano and Konoha appeared. Then I ended up here.”

“Describe how you were feeling in that moment.”

“I was…terrified, to say the least. Nauseous. Grief-struck. Filled with anguish. I couldn’t believe that was real. I thought I was dreaming, stuck in a never-ending nightmare. Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t process anything.”

“What about now?”

“Now?” I had to think about that for a few seconds. “I’m… Surprisingly calmer. I feel like I’ve transformed most of my terror and grief to usable power. I’ve accepted what has happened, for the most part. Now, I want to do something for her. I want to avenge her.”

“You’re more mature than I expected,” said Ayano, smiling. “And you’re stronger than many others. Stronger than most others. I’m glad you were able to turn that sadness into strength. What happened to Hiyori-chan was definitely not your fault. You did everything you could to protect her. Remember, Hibiya-kun, if you ever need to talk, I’ll be here to listen. And not just me. Any of the members will be happy to listen. We’re here for you.”

“Thank you, Ayano-san.”

“Well, now that we’ve talked about you, let’s talk about Hiyori-chan. I’m sure you’re wondering why she was killed by Kuroha, and Kuroha’s goals in general.” said Ayano, taking a deep breath.

“I heard from Ene-san that your father worked with him. Is that why?”

Ayano was slightly taken aback. “Ene told you her story?”

I nodded. “Information comes with a price, so I’ll have to repay her for that story someday.”

“I see… That makes things easier. Yes, that’s partly the reason. D— My father currently works with Kuroha. They are researching eternal life. ”

“Does your father want to revive your mother…?” I asked cautiously.

Ayano smiled ruefully. “Yes. Have you heard about the AZAMI Corporation?” 

“Of course,” I said, confused as to what it had to do with everything else. “The multinational super-rich business company that owns, like, half of the country?”

“That’s the one. Well, years ago, the head of the corporation, Azami Tsukikage, died mysteriously. She was a mysterious woman who, in her fifties, still looked like she was twenty years old. She was also Marry’s grandmother. My mother was researching Azami’s death, which made her an easy target for Kuroha. My father was distraught after my mother’s death. That’s when a mysterious man came to him, eagerly recruiting him to be part of his studies. As my father was a scientist and a science teacher, his skills were very much desired. As you probably guessed, that man was Kuroha. We don’t know why Kuroha is researching a topic like that, but from what happened to Ene and Konoha, we know that it isn’t something to be celebrated. Although Ene and Konoha have seen him in real life before, he was disguised as my father, so we have no idea what he actually looks like. 

“As I said, Hiyori-chan’s my mother’s younger sister. That makes her connected to Azami too. It’s a stretch, but Kuroha is, well, merciless. But getting to Hiyori-chan was a little bit difficult for him, because the countryside the two of you lived in was a rather secluded place. Placing spies there would only make them seem out of place, as everyone knew each other and newcomers would be noticed immediately. That made the countryside a sanctuary for Hiyori-chan, and as soon as I found out about Kuroha, I told her about everything.”

My mouth fell open as I stared at Ayano. “Wait,” I said. “Does that mean… Hiyori knew about him? About Kuroha?”

Ayano nodded. “Yes. I told her that somebody was after her, and that that person was the one that killed her older sister. But four years later, I happened to spot her on the streets in the city, and I panicked. I quickly called her and told her to return; after all, just because he was jailed previously doesn’t mean he posed no threat. That was why she returned just as the summer ended.

“But just because she wasn’t here didn’t necessarily mean she was completely out of danger. Just to be safe, I stayed in contact with her, constantly checking in with her and making sure she was fine. With my mother and father gone, she was the only member of my family by blood that was left, and I wanted her to be safe over anything else. She was NO.8 of our gang, even though she wasn’t physically here with us. When I found out she returned to the city this year, I tried to keep her safe. Nothing happened to her during her first week here, so I guess I thought nothing would happen to her in her next weeks.

“But I was wrong. Yesterday, just minutes before it occurred, we found out that Kuroha was on the move again, and my first thoughts went to Hiyori-chan. And my worst nightmares came to life. 

“That was why Hiyori-chan died.” said Ayano, biting her lip. “It was my fault. If I had been a little more careful, a little more forceful, then maybe she would have still been by your side. For everything, I am deeply sorry, Hibiya-kun.” She bowed her head, showing all of her regret and sadness in one motion.

“Please don’t say that.” Ayano looked up at my words. “Just like you said to me, it’s not your fault. You did everything you could to protect her.”

Ayano gave me a rueful smile. “Thank you, Hibiya-kun. I can tell that things will be better for you in the future, if you believe in it. Now, I think we’re done here. It was very nice talking to you, and I hope I was able to help, even just a little bit.”

“Of course,” I replied, standing up. “It was great talking to you.”

“Do you know where you’re going next?”

“Yeah,” I said. “To Momo’s, right?”

Ayano nodded. “I’m pretty sure she’s in her room. See you!”

I said goodbye to Ayano and left the room. I let out a breath I didn’t know I held in. I never knew my brain was capable of containing so much information in such a small amount of time. Hiyori had gone through so much, and I was oblivious to all of her suffering. I couldn’t imagine the feeling of knowing someone was trying to kill you and living with that feeling for years.

That’s why I need to prove that her life was meaningful.

I reached Momo’s room and knocked on the door. It swung open and I looked right into the eyes of Marry Kozakura. The girl stared at me shyly, and I, having never talked to her before, could only stare back awkwardly.

“Marry-chan? What happened?” asked Momo from the background, saving me from the awkwardness.

Marry stepped backwards to let me into the room. Momo’s room was messier than I expected, with CDs, notebooks, and clothes scattered everywhere. Momo stood amidst the mess, wearing an black oversized hoodie decorated with two big yellow monster eyes. It was long enough to cover her shorts but short enough to expose her long, slender legs. I immediately looked away, feeling ashamed of myself for noticing such things. Momo, however, was oblivious to my pounding heart and flushed face.

“Ah, Hibiya-kun!” she exclaimed as she hopped over a pile of clothes to reach me, her ponytail swinging from side to side as she walked over. She held out two dresses in front of me. “Which do you think is better?”

I looked at the two choices that were presented to me. The dress on the left was a dusty pink off-the-shoulder A-line one with a chiffon skirt that reached just above the ankles and red flowers decorating the chest areas. The dress on the right was a navy blue one with unbelievably thin straps and a plunging neckline. It was longer than the first one, but it was rather form-fitting with a slit on the right side that went all the way up.

I pointed to the one on the right.

Momo studied it for a while before nodding. “Yep, let’s go with this one!”

“So did you just ask me to come over to choose a dress for you? How is this relevant?” I asked, dumbfounded.

Momo laughed. “Don’t worry, this is definitely related to the mission. Now, we have precisely two hours until we leave. Marry-chan, would you go get Seto for me? He’ll help Hibiya-kun get ready.”

Marry nodded, and without another word, she left the room.

I stared after her. “She doesn’t talk much, does she?”

“She’s just nervous,” said Momo, laughing. “Marry-chan isn’t so good at handling meeting new people. I remember when we first met, she spilt an entire tray of tea of me and broke my phone. It was pretty funny. Don’t worry, she’s a sweet girl and you’ll get to know each other in no time.”

Just as Momo finished her sentence, Marry returned, bringing Seto along with her. The nervousness returned to me, as I never spoke to Seto either. He seemed like a good guy, but I didn’t think that alone would make the awkwardness disappear.

“Hibiya-kun, right?” asked Seto. He held out a hand to me. “I’m Kousuke Seto! Nice to meet you!” His voice was full of energy, and I felt my nervousness subside.

“Nice to meet you.” I said, shaking his hand.

“Seto-san, Hibiya-kun’s coming with me on the mission tonight. Could you get him something nice to wear?” asked Momo, loosening her ponytail and letting her hair fall to her shoulders.

“Of course! I’m on it,” said Seto.

Reluctantly, I followed him out of Momo’s room and into Seto’s. It was very clean, showing great contrast with Momo’s. There were many pictures of animals everywhere, and a Keroro pillow lay on the bed. Seto opened his closet and rummaged through it, humming as he did so.

“Um… If you don’t mind me asking, what am I going to be doing, anyways?” I asked. I still had no idea what the mission was going to be, and I was beyond nervous.

“Momo didn’t tell you?” Seto picked out a navy suit and held it in front of me. “Tonight’s target is Ginzo Sakagami, a corrupt CEO and an associate of Kuroha’s. He’s a fairly new addition to the people Kuroha works with, and so he’s easy to tap into. He will be at a gala at the Ritz-Carlton tonight, and Momo was invited as well. It’s Momo’s job to get information out of him, and your job to go as backup as well as observe a mission on the front line. His information is quite needed, since he’s Kuroha’s newest addition. Kuroha tends to make sure to wipe them out if he senses we’re on the move, and he hasn’t done anything yet, so we’re hoping to finally get some useful information.”

“I.. see…” I said. “So… Is there anything specific I have to do?”

Seto put the navy suit back in the closet and held out a dark grey suit in front of me. “I guess not anything huge,” he said. “Eat. Look out for her. Make sure she doesn’t get taken advantage of too much.”

I furrowed my brows as I processed Seto’s words. “Taken advantage of? Wait, what’s her job?”

Seto paused, and he put the suit in my hands. “Obtaining information from the target. Getting close to him for the evening. Talking.” he said. After another pause, he added, “Seductively.”

I stared at him, partially shocked and partially dumbfounded. “S-Seductively?” I repeated. “Are you sure I should be around for that?”

“It’ll be fine,” said Seto. “She knows when to stop. Her wellbeing is more important, after all. Besides, you’ll be there. Now, this looks nice. Go change and come back.”

I nodded and headed to the bathroom to change. It was a rather nice suit; I could tell that it wasn’t cheap from the high quality. It fit quite nicely; I was lucky that I was around the same height as Seto. After I returned, I had my hair gelled back, something I never did, and wore an expensive-smelling cologne. I was given some nice shoes as well as a Cartier watch to accessorize my outfit.

“Looks like we’re done here!” said Seto. “Let’s go and check on Marry and Momo.” We walked down the hall once again to Momo’s room, and again, Marry opened the door.

“Seto!” she exclaimed, her face blooming into a smile.

“Hey, Marry,” said Seto. “Are you guys going to be done soon?”

“We’re almost done! Momo-chan, can they come in?”

“Yeah, go ahead!” said Momo from the background. “Come on in!”

We stepped into the room and I was immediately dumbfounded. The dress I had chosen looked absolutely stunning on Momo; it showed her curves and enhanced her beauty in the best way possible. It also showed a great deal of skin, which I couldn’t say I hated. The makeup she wore made her beautiful features stand out even more. Her hair was styled into soft waves, no longer partly tied in a ponytail at the side of her head. She was Momo, but at the same time, she seemed like a different person.

“How do I look?” asked Momo. “Good enough for the party?”

“..You look nice.” I said quietly.

Momo smiled. “Give me one second and I’ll be ready.” She turned around to face the mirror and put on a pair of silver hoops. She grabbed her jacket and her shoes and walked up to me. “Now, let’s go.”

“Good luck to the both of you!” said Marry.

We walked down the hallway and towards the door. My heart pounded in my chest as we walked outside the house and to the car that was parked outside. A chauffeur held the door open for us, and we sat down in the back seat. I took a deep breath as the car drove away and to the destination.

“Are you nervous?” asked Momo.

“A little, yeah,” I admitted. I looked at her. “And you?”

“Me? I’m fine. It’s not my first mission, after all.”

“How old is that guy?”

“Hm?”

I turned away and looked out the window. “Never mind. Forget what I said.”

As the car drove on, we talked about miscellaneous things, ranging from her idol career to my high school life. I realized that we got along rather well, and that I’d hate to see her carry out the mission right in front of my eyes.

Just as I got comfortable sitting in the car, it pulled up in front of a luxurious hotel. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the door for us. I stepped onto the cobblestone path with Momo beside me, and I stared up at the hotel in front of me.

My first mission awaited.


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sparkling idol charms both her target and her comrade.

"Remember, Hibiya-kun, if anything bad happens, just run."

I looked into Momo's eyes. She was dead serious, and I didn't know how to react. "What's going to happen?" I asked nervously.

"Sorry. That was more of a lesson for missions in general." said Momo. "I don't think anything terrible will happen today, but, you know, just in case."

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

Momo smiled. "Are you worried about me?" she asked. She gave my head a calming pat. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Now, let's talk about the mission."

We walked into the hotel lobby, and I couldn't help but glance around in awe. It was a luxurious hotel I would have never associated myself with, and I couldn't believe I would ever be attending a gala at a place like this, even if I was just here as Momo's partner. I would have never dreamed of getting close to this level of wealth.

"Take this," said Momo, discreetly taking my hand and putting something in it. "Earpiece. I have a voice recorder hidden. That way, you'll be able to hear everything I say, but more importantly, everything he says. Sit at a distance where you can still see me, but don't make it too obvious. Order a drink or something and pass the time at your leisure. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am," I said as approached the lounge. Upon seeing Momo, the hostess immediately opened the door for us.

"Great," said Momo, flashing me a smile before we walked in. "I'm counting on you, kid."

It was my first time at a lounge. The dim lights from the chandeliers set the mood perfectly, and the live band played a beautiful jazz piece that was vaguely familiar. People stood around with drinks in their hands, talking to each other, and I recognized many of them to be influential figures in various realms. Momo took a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter's tray and took a sip, her eyes darting around, looking for her target. She was like a fox out on a hunt for her prey, and oh boy, she was sure going to get what she wanted.

"Ah, Momo-chan!" A woman around her thirties approached us with a huge smile on her face.

Momo smiled at her politely. "It's nice to see you again, Sawashiro-san."

"And it's nice to see you, too!" said the woman. She looked at me. "And this is?"

"He's my companion for the night," said Momo.

"My name is Hibiya Amamiya. Nice to meet you," I said, extending a hand to her.

"Nice to meet you, Amamiya-kun," she said, smiling as she shook my hand. "What a nice kid you are with great manners. Well, I'll leave you to yourselves now. Please, have a good evening."

"Thank you, Sawashiro-san," said Momo, and the woman walked off.

"Isn't that… Maya Sawashiro of UDI?" I asked.

"Yeah." Momo took another sip of her champagne.

"It's hard to believe that an idol has such wide connections."

"How rude," said Momo, glancing at me. "I've gotten famous to that degree, if I may say so myself. Now, I'm off. See you later." She walked off towards the depths of the room, and I followed behind her at a distance. I put the earpiece into my ear and turned it on. Ahead of me, I saw Momo approach a secluded booth. Quickly, I found a seat on the other side of the room in a booth across from hers, but far enough for me to be concealed. It was at that moment that I felt blessed for having good vision. I turned my attention towards Momo's conversation over the earpiece.

"Hello," said Momo as she approached the target, Ginzo Sakagami. He was a middle-aged man with a balding head and an emerging beer-belly. He looked up immediately at the sound of Momo's melodious voice, and I could see his gaze roam over her.

"Oh…Hello," he said, looking surprised.

Momo smiled at him. "Are you here alone?"

"Yes… I am."

"I am, too. Do you mind if I join you?"

Ginzo immediately scooted over to make room for her. "Please," he said. "Sit."

Momo sat down next to him. Too close, I yelled mentally. Too close too close too close… Momo, of course, was oblivious to my thoughts. "I'm Momo Kisaragi. It's nice to meet you," she said, holding out a hand to him.

Ginzo took it eagerly. "Yes, I know. World-famous idol Momo Kisaragi. I'm Ginzo Sakagami."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Momo. "Mr. World-Famous CEO."

"You know about me?"

"Of course. You're a very successful person. I've always admired you."

"You have?" asked Ginzo, surprised.

"Oh, yes. The way you do business is very smart. Last month's decision of investing in Touyama Automobiles was a stroke of genius."

Those words got Ginzo's attention, and he looked at Momo with respect. "Thank you. I didn't think anyone would agree with me. If only Haruna understood me in that way."

"Haruna?" Momo echoed.

"My ex-wife. We divorced a year ago," said Ginzo. "But she's not relevant in my life anymore."

"Why did you divorce?" asked Momo. Then, feigning guilt, she looked down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

Ginzo saw her trembling hands and sorrowful eyes and put a hand over hers. I could tell that Momo just melted his heart. "Don't be, Momo-chan. I don't mind. She divorced me because we just didn't get along; that's all. She no longer resides in my heart. I couldn't care less."

"But I don't understand why she did that," Momo said, taking his hand. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with emotion. "You're such a kind person. It's hard not to fall in love with you."

Ginzo was quite taken aback by her words. It was apparent that he had fallen for her. She knew the weaknesses to a man's heart, and she penetrated those walls without any difficulty.

I was getting a headache from listening and watching. I ordered a drink to cool myself down.

Momo must have thought of the same thing as me, because she looked around the room. "Care to let me treat you to a drink?" she asked Ginzo.

"Oh, no. Please, allow me. I should be the one treating you; it isn't like a gentleman to let such a beautiful lady get a drink for him." Ginzo signaled to a nearby waiter. "Excuse me! We'd like a…"

"A martini, please." said Momo.

"Two martinis, then." As the waiter walked off to prepare their drinks, Ginzo turned to Momo. "You have good taste."

"Really? I'm glad to hear that from you."

"But why the martini?" asked Ginzo. "I'd think that someone like you would ask for Baileys."

"Well, Ginzo-san, let me tell you something," said Momo. She leaned in close to his ear, and, in a whispery tone, said, "A secret makes a woman woman."

I almost spat out the margarita mocktail I ordered. The heat rose to my face immediately. Having heard that over the earpiece, Momo's whispery tone was more direct than ever. It was like listening to ASMR.

"Can I have a little taste of that mystery, then?"

I forced myself to repress my urge to puke. That was disgusting. That was absolutely disgusting. Oh hell no, am I really going to listen to such revolting things and not be able to do anything about it? I was disgusted.

The waiter returned with their drinks before Momo could reply. Momo held hers up before Ginzo. "Cheers," she said.

"To our encounter," he said. They both drank their martinis, and they stared into each other's eyes as they did. If I didn't know that Momo was on a mission, I would have been led into thinking that her acting was real.

"Say, Momo, what do you like to do in your free time?" asked Ginzo.

"Me?" asked Momo. "I like watching movies and finding nice restaurants to eat at. I've been told that my sense of style is weird, though."

"That's alright," said Ginzo. "I like weird."

I massaged my temples. I didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Ginzo was completely into Momo. Our success seemed a little too good to be true. It was the goal of our mission, but at the same time, it was disgusting.

"What about you?" asked Momo, brushing her fingers around the rim of her glass.

"I'm a big fan of the ocean," said Ginzo. "I would love to take you to my private resort sometime. We could go scuba diving."

"That sounds amazing," said Momo.

I raised an eyebrow. Such lies. She'd absolutely hate that. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the scene and saw Ginzo run a hand up Momo's thigh.

"I want to know more about you," said Ginzo.

I had to pinch myself to stop myself from running over there. Momo, however, seemed unfazed.

"I'd like to know more about you, too," said Momo.

"Then ask away."

"Let's see… Are you working on anything new recently? Any new trade partners?"

My eyes widened. I could see where Momo was taking the conversation. Finally, the topic of Kuroha was going to come up.

"You sure you want to ask about work-related matters?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm more than just a ditzy idol."

"I don't want to bore you."

"You'll never bore me."

"Shall we take this somewhere more private? It's not safe to talk about top-secret business plans, you know, among…other topics." Ginzo's words sounded like alarms in my brain. Was he crossing the line? Should I be on the move? What should I do?

Momo didn't show any sign of wanting help. "Aren't you scared of scandals?" she asked softly.

"They have private lounge rooms here. We could go get a drink, and I'll tell you about work. It's supposed to be top secret, but I'll make an exception for you."

My heart thumped as the two of them stood up, Ginzo with one hand around Momo's waist, and made their way out of the public lounge. Quickly, I finished the rest of my drink and followed them, making sure they didn't see me. Again, Momo didn't show any sign of needing help, so I decided to just stay ready.

I decided to stand at the far end of the lounge, not too far from the private lounge room they entered. Through the earpiece, I could hear the sound of a door closing and the shuffling of sofas.

"You're so beautiful," said Ginzo. There was a silence that was not exactly soundless, and I could swear that Ginzo had made a move on her.

"Will you tell me about your work?" asked Momo.

"Oh…Yeah, of course. You won't believe who I'm working with now. I just got in contact with AZAMI Corporation's rightful heir."

"Rightful heir?" Momo echoed. I was confused; how was Kuroha the rightful heir?

"Yeah, isn't that amazing? We all thought AZAMI Corporation went bankrupt when their CEO died, but it turns out that there was a heir after all. He's been working in the backgrounds to one day emerge as the most powerful man in the world. When that happens, he promised to make me his second-in-command. Isn't that great? You'll be the world's second most powerful man's wife!"

"Have you met him?"

"Of course! We met yesterday to go over our plans."

"What does he look like?"

"He's in his thirties. Black hair, red eyes. He's pretty tall, around six feet. He was a very professional-looking person, you know, since he dressed business casual to meet me when it was supposed to be a casual meeting at Starbucks. Pretty trustworthy guy."

"Do you know what his goals are?"

"He told me he wanted to revive AZAMI."

"Where does he live?"

"Somewhere in this prefecture. That's all I know. But he mentioned he was going to the casino next Tuesday."

"Mm… What else do you know?"

"He's a rather secretive person, so that's all I know."

"Thank you." said Momo. "Cheers?"

"Cheers." The two of them finished up their drinks.

"It's time for me to go," said Momo.

"Why not stay?" asked Ginzo, the disappointment clear in his voice. "The fun was just about to start."

"The magic will fade eventually, even for Cinderella," Momo replied.

"Will I get to see my princess again?"

"Cinderella meets Prince Charming again, doesn't she?" asked Momo. "Goodbye." I heard the door open, and I immediately looked towards the room. And there she was, strutting down the hall brusquely towards me.

"Hey," said Momo. "Let's go."

"O-Okay," I said, surprised at Momo's calm tone. We weaved through the crowd in the lounge and left the hotel. Our car was waiting for us at the front. As soon as we sat down, Momo grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth furiously.

"Never again," she muttered under her breath.

"That was a very…intimate time you had with him." I said, looking out the window.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to puke," said Momo dryly.

"Relatable."

"Sorry you had to hear all that." said Momo, sighing.

"It was pretty disgusting." I said. Seeing Momo's awkward and hurt expression, I quickly added, "He was. Not you."

"I have no choice," she said. "I'm the only one out of us who could take on this role. Kano-san does it occasionally when the targets are women, which rarely happens. Leader's never happy when he sets off on those missions. I mean, it's not that I was forced into it or anything. I'm glad I was able to contribute to our goals. With this, it's proven that there are things that only I can do to help us."

"Do you do this…sort of stuff often?"

"When I have to." Momo replied. "But don't worry, I haven't sacrificed anything further than a kiss."

"S-Speaking of which," I said, ignoring my heating face. "Isn't that going to hurt your reputation as an idol? He'll probably come looking for you. What happened to scandals?"

"Oh, that? Don't worry," said Momo, a carefree smile on her face as she studied her nails. "He'll be dead in the next hour."

My mouth dropped. "What?"

"Poison. It's simple. He didn't notice anything when I handed him his drink. It'll take effect sometime soon. We've got connections with an undertaker, too, so by midnight, Cinderella's magic'll wear off and he'll become a pile of ashes." said Momo, unfazed.

I stared at her. "Weren't you scared at all?"

"Yeah, I guess. But in worst case scenarios, I still have poison needles under my nails. If he posed a true threat, I could have extended them and killed him right away." Momo smiled at me. "Besides, I knew that you were there, and you would be able to carry information back if something really did happen."

I clenched my fists. "Don't say that, Auntie."

"Huh?"

"Don't say things like that!" I looked right into Momo's eyes. "…I was worried."

Momo's eyes widened in surprise. Then, she smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Hibiya-kun."

As soon as we arrived back at the base, Momo kicked off her ten-inch Jimmy Choos and stretched. "We're back!" she yelled.

Marry immediately ran to greet us, followed by Seto. "Welcome back!" she said, her eyes sparkling. "How was it?"

"We got all of the attainable information from that guy!" said Momo proudly. "Don't worry, Marry-chan, we're making progress!"

"Come on in," said Seto. "Kido and the others have been waiting for you. Let's hold a meeting."

We shuffled on in to the living room, where I saw all of the members sitting together in a semi-circle on the couches in white dress shirts and black pants, just as they were when I first saw them. This time, they weren't holding guns to my face or staring at me with bloodlust, so I felt no feelings of terror.

"Welcome back, Kisaragi," said Kido. She gestured to the empty couches across from her. "Have a seat."

"Thanks, Leader!" said Momo as she sat down. I took a seat next to her, slightly nervous from the intense gazes of the other members that focused on us.

"So, what info did Sakagami spit out?" asked Kano.

Momo took a sip of the tea Marry poured her before responding. "Assuming he didn't disguise himself as someone else, which we have found out he doesn't in order to gain trust from his new cooperators, Kuroha is a tall man around six feet in his thirties with black hair and red eyes. He met with Sakagami yesterday at Starbucks, and he was wearing a business casual outfit. Apparently, he's been working to to emerge as the most powerful man in the world. He lives in this prefecture, and he will be going to the casino next Tuesday.

"Sakagami also said something else that was interesting. He said Kuroha was the rightful heir to AZAMI Corporation."

Everyone looked just as surprised as me when I first heard Momo's words, if not even more surprised. Marry glanced down into her teacup, staring at the ripples the red liquid made.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," said Kano, scrunching up his face in confusion. "AZAMI Corp's rightful heir… Even if there was one, shouldn't that be Marry?" At Kano's words, everyone turned to look at Marry, whose grip on her teacup tightened.

"I…" Marry stuttered, her shoulders tensing.

"He also said Kuroha wanted to revive AZAMI Corporation," said Momo.

At Momo's words, Marry tensed up even further, her gaze darting away from everyone else.

Seto put an arm around her. "It's okay," he coaxed. "We're not blaming you for anything."

"Do you know anything, Marry?" asked Kido, leaning forward. "Anything?"

Looking away, Marry shook her head furiously.

Shintaro sighed. "Let's sort this out, then." Taking out his laptop, he started to type furiously. "Let's see… Kuroha, Criminal Number 968, murderer of Ayaka Tateyama, the Kido family, police officer couple the Setos and former police dog Hana, Kano's mother, my father, Hiyori Asahina, among many others. Arrested nine years ago, sentenced because of possession of an assault weapon. According to new information, he's in his thirties, six feet, black hair and red eyes, and was last seen wearing a business casual outfit at Starbucks with Ginzo Sakagami. He lives in this prefecture and plans to go to the casino next Tuesday. Planning to become the most powerful man in the world, and is the self-proclaimed rightful heir to AZAMI Corporation."

Ene laughed sarcastically. "The most powerful man in the world," she repeated. "What a delusional seventh-grader."

"Goals…" murmured Konoha. "I wonder what his true goals are."

"I do, too," said Kano, leaning back in his chair. "That's why we've got to work hard."

"Alright," said Kido, standing up. "Ene, Shintaro, you guys go look through the surveillance cameras and try to track him down."

"Let's go now, Ene," said Shintaro, standing up.

"You don't have to tell me that, said Ene, rolling her eyes. "Master."

"Kano, Seto, go to the cafe location tomorrow and ask around about the target. Momo, you keep working on your missions. Hibiya, you'll work with Shintaro tomorrow to prepare for your second mission." said Kido. "Is everyone clear?"

"Yes, Leader," said everyone in unison.

Kido smiled. "Great. Dismissed!"

Everyone started to file out of the room, heading towards their various workplaces. Momo yawned and stretched.

"Ah, it's been a long day, hasn't it?" she asked.

"No kidding," I said. "Hey, how come Marry-san doesn't have a job?"

Momo laughed. "Marry-chan? She's kind of like our queen here. She doesn't really go on missions, mostly because she's in the most danger and she should be hid from Kuroha. She can get murderous when she gets mad, though."

"I see…" A queen-like existence… I had to say it was quite fitting. With her light blonde hair, porcelain skin and delicate features, Marry Kozakura was definitely a rare beauty. She looked like a forest faerie or a princess of an European country.

"So, I guess you're going to be working with my brother tomorrow," said Momo, sighing. "Good luck with that."

"Why?" I asked, cautious. "Is he, uh, in a bad mood or something?"

"He will be." Momo muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. He's a little hard to get to know when you first meet him. Pretty cold and aloof. He was super mean in middle school. But after meeting Ayano-san, he changed. He's a much nicer person now." said Momo, smiling. "Sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"It's fine. I don't mind."

"Anyways, how did going on your first mission feel like? Any feedback?"

"It was…interesting," I said. "It was nice not having to do anything…extreme…yet. Just observing helped greatly."

"I'm glad I helped! We're just trying to ease you into things. The next mission won't be as simple as this, though." She ruffled my hair. "Now, it's been a long day! Go get some sleep! Good night, Hibiya-kun."

And with that, she strutted off. The image of the her of this evening still lingered in my brain; her long dress, her sparkling heels, her perfume's elegant scent, her red lips, and her smile all came together to paint the most beautiful portrait ever.

It was frightening how breathtakingly beautiful a murderer could be.


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The preparation for the mission will soon pay off.

****Do I really have the courage to kill someone?

My first mission got me thinking. The swiftness with which Momo killed her target was astonishing. She took away that man's life without any second thoughts. She was full of danger, but at the same time, she was so beautiful. How could someone doing something as inhumane as killing hold such charm? Could I do the same thing?

There's no doubt that I wanted to kill Kuroha. I wanted him to pay for what he did to Hiyori with his life, with his entire existence. I wanted to wipe that parasite off the face of this planet, making sure he never, ever did anything like that ever again.

But could I kill others to get to my goal? There was no doubt that I had to kill Kuroha's workers or people standing in the way. I was just given my weapon. I was a sniper. I was part of the mafia.

I was a murderer.

My first mission was eye-opening in a million ways; I saw a murderer in action. Momo was able to kill someone in the blink of an eye, without any doubts or regrets. Her actions were silent and swift, like a calm predator in the depths of the night. The Momo I knew was energetic, lively, and caring, but her actions yesterday showed nothing but coldness and heartlessness. I didn't know how to face her anymore.

But more importantly, I didn't know how to face myself.

The night I finished my first mission, I sat in my room, thinking long and hard about what I experienced. The car crash. Hiyori's death. The Blindfold Gang. Blood. Snipers. Killing. Murderers. For the first time, I thought about my future that was already stained with the blood of my enemies and littered with the corpses of my opponents.

I was torn. Just days ago, I was another ordinary high school student, without any eye-opening talents or characteristics. I have always been ordinary; unlike Hiyori, who was praised for being beautiful, talented, and kind, I could be easily replaced on the face of this planet by someone else. Would my new-found comrades throw me away once I have served my purpose, just like a rusted tool?

Without a doubt, I was scared. I was just another normal boy a few days ago, and everything just happened so fast. If I were to turn back time, I'd go back to the moment before the car crash. I'd take her hand and never,  _ever_  let it go. I'd hold on to her for dear life, and I'd tell her how much I loved her. No; I'd go back to my twelfth summer, the first time I came into the city with Hiyori. I'd do so many things differently, but most importantly, I'd be the one there for her no matter what happened.

By the time I got to a conclusion, it was already dawn. I shook my head, clearing away my worries. I fell back onto my bed, closing my eyes to regain some energy and peace.

I wouldn't turn back time. The terrible things happened for a reason; they occurred to make me stronger. I've chosen this path by myself, and so I will continue along it, no matter what happens.

I will not give up.

My second mission did not come to me immediately. During the time I wasn't tasked with anything, I simply ran errands for Leader and the rest of the members, going out to buy supplies for lunch and dinner or coffee from the nearest Starbucks. I didn't complain about my jobs; after all, I was still their newest addition and held abilities nowhere near the others'.

"Anyone free?" yelled Kido, popping her head out of the kitchen. Marry and I, the only ones in the living room, looked at each other, and I immediately stood up.

"Yes, Leader?" I asked.

"Oh, Hibiya," she said, beckoning. "Could you help me wash those vegetables over there? My hands are kinda full right now."

"Of course." I immediately made myself useful.

"Have you ever cooked?" asked Kido.

"Occasionally, when I have time, I cook my own meals," I replied. "But usually, I'm busy with schoolwork, so I have to rely on cup noodles."

Kido pointed her spatula at me. "Hey. That's not healthy. You should put more care into what you eat. Food is an essential part of life, after all." When she caught me smiling, she raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"No, it's nothing," I said, forcing back a chuckle. "It's just… You're very reliable, Leader."

Kido's face flushed red in surprise and bashfulness. "O-Of course," she stammered. "If the Leader isn't reliable, then the group will fall apart." She stared into the pan in front of her, her gaze suddenly becoming melancholy. "After all, I've already decided to be strong."

As Kido returned to her work at hand, I stared at her. Her last sentence held more weight than I expected it to, and I wondered what kind of past she lived through. Being the leader of the legendary mafia, Tsubomi Kido was adorned with an aura of fierceness and seriousness. However, she showed her kind and caring side to the people that were precious to her.

These mafia members really were just normal people, after all.

"Leader… Can I ask you something?"

Kido looked up from the pot she was stirring. "What is it?" she asked.

"Why did you decide to let me join the Blindfold Gang?"

Kido stared at me for a while. Her gaze was piercing, as if it was capable of reaching into the depths of my mind. "Are you having second thoughts?" Her tone was calm, but it held the slightest tinge of menace.

"No, it's not that," I said, maintaining my gaze. "I just… This gang has been running with the same people for quite some time, and all of your abilities complement each other's perfectly. I've never held a gun in my entire life until a few days ago, and I don't have any abilities that stand out. It would probably take a lot of time and energy to train me and make me useful to you guys. I don't want to be a burden…"

As I trailed off, Kido slowly picked up her knife. With one swift movement, she pointed it straight at me, the tip of its blade just centimeters away from my face.

I froze. I messed up. Somehow, I just angered our leader and I was staring straight into the face of death. I closed my eyes, waiting for the worst. This is bad. I'm just going to die here without a sound, and nobody will know…

"Hibiya," Kido's voice stopped my stream of endless thoughts, and I looked up at her. She faced the side of the knife towards me. "What do you see here?"

"A cleaver…?" I asked cautiously, still sweating.

"That's not what I meant. What do you see reflecting off of this steel?"

I looked at the knife, and my reflection stared back at me. "I see my ordinary self."

Kido smiled, putting down the knife. "I see a young man who is headstrong, perseverant, and good-natured. A young man who has a lot of potential and is strong, physically and mentally. Someone who is willing to sacrifice all for the ones he loves. These are all such important traits to have and ones not many have, so that's impressive, especially when you're this young." She looked straight into my eyes. "You're not a burden, Hibiya."

I stared at her, the surprise parading across my face clearly. Leader and I never held a proper conversation before this, and she wasn't one of the members that I had a closer relationship with. I didn't think she would hold such high regard for me. I was deeply moved; I didn't even think about myself in that way. "Thank you, Leader… But how could you tell?"

"Observation," said Kido, chopping up some vegetables. "It has become a habit. Also, it was easy to see from the profile of you we gathered."

"Profile?"

"You know, just the usual. Name, age, status, family, friends, schooling, past records… Just a documentation of your past seventeen years of existence."

I almost dropped the potato I was washing. "Wha-?! How?"

"Oh, you know, we have… connections," said Kido, smirking. "Now, I understand that you have an apartment rented out. When's the next time you have to pay your rent?"

"…In three days."

"I see. I'll have someone bring over your belongings and tidy up. And what did you tell your high school about your absences?"

"I told them I'll be taking a week off for now."

"Then, at the end of that period, I think it's wise to tell them that you'll be taking a temporary leave. We'll sort out the rest of the situation for you."

"Thank you, Leader."

Kido smiled. "No worries. Thanks for your help, Hibiya. Dinner'll be ready in ten minutes."

* * *

My errand-running job lasted for a few days. Everyone else was usually busy, and Kido told me that they were all so glad I joined. Most of the other members were out working every day, and we would only regroup at night when possible. Seto worked everyday at different locations, whether it be a flower shop, a bank, or a school. Momo, being a world-famous idol, was rarely at the base. She had magazine shoots, song recordings, and television appearances almost everyday. Kano was also out most of the time, doing various different jobs. He and Konoha often went as a team with Kano doing most of the talking and Konoha doing most of the hands-on work. Ayano often went to the hospital for training and learning, and Kido often went to make deals or meet with some of our "connections". Shintaro never left the house, which was a fact that Momo told me they accepted by now, and he often worked with Ene on the technology we used. Marry, having no jobs outside the house, stayed in the base at all times.

I set the two heavy grocery bags I had lugged all the way from the store down onto the table and stretched. Running errands wasn't as easy as I thought, since we needed items to support a great number of people. The grocery bags were heavy, filled with things I didn't even know we needed. The cans of coke were probably Shintaro's, and the weird snacks were probably Momo's.

A hand tugged at my shirt, and I looked around to see Marry's pink orbs staring at me. I looked back at her, nervous. Marry Kozakura was another one of the members of the gang I never really talked to. Well, I guess that would probably be the majority, as I was mostly approached by Momo, Kano, and Ene. Ayano does come by to check on me one in a while, but that was about it. I only got to talk to Kido properly a few days ago, and I've only talked to Seto for a while before my first mission. I haven't really seen Konoha since that fated day, and I've never talked to Shintaro.

I was definitely a bit nervous. I had some trouble trying to figure out what kind of person Marry was. With her petite figure and delicate features, she could easily pass as a foreign princess or a forest faerie. Momo said that she was kind of like the "queen" around here, so I didn't know how to interact with Marry.

"What's up?" I asked.

Marry continued to stare at me. Finally, she spoke: "Tea…"

"Hm?"

"Would you…like to have some tea with me?"

I blinked. That wasn't what I had expected. When she mentioned tea, I thought she wanted me to make some tea for her, which fit the "queen" description quite well. "Where's Seto-san?"

"Work," said Marry, looking down.

"What about Momo?"

"Work."

"Leader or Kano-san?"

"Work…"

I scratched my head. "Well, if you're fine with me accompanying you, then sure."

At my words, Marry looked up and her face bloomed into a smile. "I'll go make tea, then!" she said, running into the kitchen.

I couldn't help but smile as I sat down on the couch. She was such a kind soul. The television was currently playing Music Station, and I watched a singer perform a song called "Stars in the Rain". Moments later, Marry came back with a tea set as well as a plate of scones. She handed me a cup and I took a sip. The warmth and fragrance of the black tea was extremely calming, and it tasted even better with a scone.

"This is really good," I couldn't help but say.

"Really?" asked Marry, showing clear excitement and relief. "Thank you! I made the scones myself!"

"You did? They're really good!"

"Thanks! I did get a lot of help from Kido too, though!" said Marry bashfully. "Oh, that's right! Hibiya-kun, how old are you again?"

"I'm seventeen."

Marry's eyes shone with excitement. "Really? I used to be the youngest member! Wow, I feel like I have a younger brother now!"

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen!"

I raised an eyebrow. I definitely thought she was younger than me. She looked very young and youthful, with clear skin and rosy cheeks. She could have passed as a fourteen-year-old, and not in the derogatory sense. I was about to reply when a familiar figure showed up on the screen. My eyes widened as I watched her stand upon the stage with confidence. As the music started to play, the subtitles showed the name of the song and artist:

"Kisaragi Attention" by Momo Kisaragi.

"Momo…?" I was surprised. I was never a huge fan of idols, or even popular singers, so I never payed much attention to that world. Hiyori once said that I had the music taste of a fifty-year-old man, listening to a lot of jazz and blues. I never fit in with the people in my school because I never knew what they were talking about. I did know, however, that Music Station wasn't a show that any ordinary singer could appear on.

"This is her work for today," said Marry. "She's performing her biggest hit!"

As Momo started singing, I realized that the song was vaguely familiar. No, it wasn't  _vaguely_  familiar. It was the song I heard everywhere, no matter it be at school, on the radio, or in public. It was a huge sensation, and people would play it on repeat for eternity. I had to admit, though, that it was very catchy.

I had never watched Momo perform on stage before. And now, as I watched her performance, I knew why people were so infatuated with her. She was sparkling like a true star with a light so bright I had to shield my eyes from. She was truly talented, and simply watching her lifted one's mood.

My eyes were strongly captivated by her.

"Momo-chan's really amazing, isn't she?" asked Marry as the performance ended. "I want to see her perform live one day…"

I recalled the fact that Marry wasn't allowed to leave the house and immediately felt a wave of sympathy. "Have you…gone outside recently?"

Marry shook her head. "I haven't since… Ene-chan's last outside mission…" She looked down at her hands. "I was the bait for that mission… If I did my job better, then maybe things would be different… I'm really just a burden…"

"That's not true."

Marry looked up at my words, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I said the same thing a few days ago to Leader. I thought I would only bring you guys down with my helplessness. But Leader told me not to worry. She was able to accept me even if we've only known each other for such a short amount of time. You've been with them for so long, and you've helped them immensely. I'm sure they never thought about you as a burden."

At my words, Marry smiled. "I really hope so," she said. "Thank you. You're someone that I'm sure we all really need, Hibiya-kun."

Maybe just a little bit, I felt accepted by my new family.

* * *

I was supposed to meet with Shintaro to go over plans for my next mission, but that was postponed by an entire week. Turns out there were complications on the other side and so we had to fix our plans. But obviously, the day still came, and the nervousness accompanied me all the way up to the point I was standing right in front of the door to his room.

I vaguely remember Momo being a bit wary about me working with Shintaro, and he was her  _brother_. I didn't know what to expect; I've never talked to him before, and so I didn't know what kind of person he was. From Momo's descriptions, he didn't seem like someone I could easily get along with.

But whatever. It's not like I can run away from my problem for eternity. Sighing, I knocked on the door. After hearing a slightly annoyed "come in," I opened the door.

The room was unlike any other member's room I've been in. The first thing one could see when one walked into the room was a desk and six computer monitors, each showing different screens. Coke cans littered the table. Shintaro himself was sitting before the monitor screens, his hair a mess and drinking from another coke can.

"You're here," he said. He gestured to a folded-up chair in the corner of the room. "Have a seat."

I did as I was told and waited for further instructions. He didn't seem that mad, but I was still cautious.

Shintaro opened up various windows on his computer, and they were displayed across the monitors. "So, debrief of your next task: trade mission with Leader and Konoha. Tomorrow at 7PM. Location will be the rooftop of this building here. The people we're trading with are these people over here; they're from another group that holds no real threat. Leader and Konoha will do most of the work."

"So what should I do?"

Shintaro grunted. "You're a sniper, aren't you? You're on backup. Just in case they pose any threat, you'll pull the trigger. Should be easy enough."

"Then why don't you do it," I muttered under my breath.

Shintaro must have heard me, because he glared at me. "I don't know what Momo sees in a brat like you," he spat.

I blinked. "What does Momo have to do with this?"

Shintaro clicked his tongue. "Don't talk to her, understood? Back off. She's not someone that someone like you should get close to. You live in two different worlds. Stop dreaming," he said. "Don't think that everyone's accepted you just because you've been admitted into the gang. I still haven't—"

"Wow, picking on the kid, huh? What an asshole, Kisaragi."

Both Shintaro and I stared in the direction of the voice. It came directly from the computer. As soon as we turned our attention towards the computer, a window popped up by itself, revealing the bored face of Ene, who twirled pieces of her hair around her finger as she spoke.

"Wha— Ene! I told you to stop doing that!" said Shintaro.

"Oh, I'm sorry,  _Master_ ," said Ene, smirking. "But your voice just reeked of such a bitchy attitude that I just had to listen in. Just because you're being a  _siscon_  doesn't mean you have to lash out at the kid."

"Oh, fuck off, Enomoto."

"Is  _that_  how you speak to your upperclassmen?"

"Does it look like I give a fuck?"

"Oh, you don't, now?" Ene said, raising an eyebrow. Just as she finished her sentence, another window popped up, showing a locked folder. Shintaro tried furiously to control the cursor with his mouse, but no luck. It was apparent that Ene was controlling the computer from her side. "Let's see… 4…5…10…4…7…1…"

"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it…!" Shintaro yelled.

Ene shot a dazzling smile at him. "Does it look like I give a fuck?" she responded sweetly. I had to restrain myself from bursting out laughing.

"Please, Ene, please just spare me…"

"Apologize to the kid, then."

"What?!" Shintaro yelled. "Why should I?"

"Do you want me to tell Ayano-chan that you were being a bully?"

"…Please don't do that."

"Then go ahead. I'm listening. I'm sure he is, too."

Shintaro sighed and turned around to me. "Sorry, I guess." he said.

"Louder," said Ene. "I don't hear the genuineness."

"It's fine," I said, feeling sorry for Shintaro, who, at this point, was just being picked on by Ene. "I can accept that."

Ene raised an eyebrow. "You're easy to please, aren't you? Apologize again to the nice, angelic kid, Kisaragi."

At this, Shintaro turned back to Ene. "You're just in it because you think it's funny to pick on me, aren't you?" he yelled.

"Yeah," said Ene without a moment's hesitation. "You're right. It's pretty damn funny."

Shintaro breathed out a huge sigh and rested his head upon the table. "I give up."

Ene laughed. "Sorry," she said, addressing me. "Don't believe what he said about you not being accepted. He's just being sour. But I guess he's really not that shitty of a person. He won't pose any threat to you. His attributes are pretty low. A single blow can minimize his HP."

A knock on the door sounded before I could respond. It was Konoha. As soon as she saw him, Ene disappeared from the monitor.

"Hello," he said. "Do you have the details of the trade?" He spoke extremely slowly, like someone who just learned how to speak a foreign language.

"Oh, Konoha," said Shintaro. He handed Konoha some papers. "Here. The other copy's for Leader."

"Okay. See you later." With that, Konoha left.

Shintaro sighed. "You can come back now," he said, eyeing the screen.

Ene's image popped back onto the screen.

"You know, you can't just avoid him for eternity," said Shintaro. "You're gonna have to face him again someday, and who knows when that'll be. It may be soon. What are you going to do then?"

"Don't tell me what to fuckin' do!" spat Ene, and the window closed altogether.

Shintaro broke the silence that followed by handing me a few papers. "Here's some other info about the trade including what I just told you. Any questions?"

"What are we trading?"

"It's nothing dangerous. We're just serving as middle ground. We got some rare items for an underground price from connections and we're selling them for a much higher price. Money's what we're after. Anything else?"

I stared down at my hands. "How will I know if I need to shoot?"

Shintaro looked at me. "If things seem to be getting out of hand. If the other group seems to be not acting in accordance to plan or if we're threatened." he said. "You'll know. Don't worry."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."

Shintaro took one look at me and he smiled ever so slightly. "You're welcome, kid."

* * *

For the mission, I was equipped with my CheyTac Intervention M-200, which I had actually gotten used to using. When I wasn't running errands during the past week, I was practicing in the shooting range. I did not want to mess up. I would be positioned on the rooftop of another building, and I would use my gun whenever necessary.

I was nervous. What if I mess up? What would I do then? Just what would happen? How would I ever deal with that situation? I didn't know.

"Hibiya-kun?"

A voice pulled me back to reality. I looked up and saw Momo standing in front of me.

"Oh. It's you," I said. "Auntie."

"Don't call me that!" Momo pouted. "Did my brother say something to you? Anything rude?"

"He told me to stop talking to you."

"That idiot…" said Momo, massaging her temples. "I'm sorry. He's a pathetic excuse of a brother. Don't listen to him. Also, here." She took my hand and put something in it.

"What's this?" I asked, staring at the peculiar keychain in my palm.

"It's a lucky charm!" said Momo, smiling. "With this, you'll do great. Don't worry."

I stared at it. Momo had the weirdest taste ever, but it made me laugh. "Thanks," I said between chuckles. "I'll keep it with me."

"Oh? What's this? Our precious little apprentice is going off on another mission?" asked Kano, walking up to us. "How exciting!"

"Kano-san," said Momo. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I have five minutes to spare," said Kano, laughing. "What about you, Miss Super Idol?"

"I'm on break for the night."

"Ah, must be nice. You haven't had a break for a while. Anything fun planned?" asked Kano. "Oh, by the way, I'm really liking the all-black look. Looks great, Hibiya-kun."

"Kano, are you done talking yet?" asked Kido, walking up to us. She put one hand on her hip. "Are we just going to stand around talking all day?"

Kano laughed. "Don't worry, Kido, I didn't forget about you! You look great, too! But you'd look even better in that pretty dress of yours hidden in the depths of your clos—"

Kido cut him off with a murderous glare. "Shut up before I kill you."

I could only gulp at how realistic and possible the threat was. Kano, however, only laughed.

"Leader? Hibiya?" Konoha called from the doorway.

"We're coming," Kido responded. She looked at me. "Are you ready?"

Momo and I exchanged another look, and I smiled.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy august 15 :)

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions do not hesitate to let me know!


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